A Complete Turnaround
by Nightstar Fury
Summary: Astrid Hofferson's life is turned inside out and upside down when she suddenly loses everything. However, in a desperate time of need, a helping hand is extended by the last person she ever expected to do so; Hiccup Haddock. Pairing; Hiccup and Astrid.
1. Great To Be Me

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Great To Be Me

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 20, 2025-5:50 pm}**_

 _ **(Town of Berk; Mead Hall)**_

"You look absolutely stunning, my dear," my soon to be mother-in-law's voice stated after she'd placed the final piece of my bridal look where it belonged. I smiled softly as the woman gave me a slight hug, and I leaned into it before backing up. "Come, ladies, let's head downstairs and give Astrid a few moments to herself," the woman rallied my Maid of Honor and two Bridesmaids to leave the room. I heard the excited chatter fade away once the door closed as I looked back into the mirror. I stood in a white strapless, sweetheart criss-cross ruched A-line high-low wedding dress that had a jeweled waist. My hair was simple, a style I always used; one braid on the left side of my head that flowed around to the back where the rest of my hair was braided down and then hung over my shoulder left shoulder. I did have a small bridal tiara, but no veil. My shoes were flat, white jewel-strapped sandals, and the bouquet I held in front of me was something I designed to represent what today was for me and my soon to be my husband.

The arrangement of my flowers is small. The base was three blue roses because of the _something borrowed, something new, something old, something blue_ bit. In those were two yellow roses to represent the friendship that my soon to be husband and I have; what started all of this to lead me where I am right now. And finally, there was a single red rose to signify the love my man, and I share. The other aspects of that line for most weddings is the new piece, my dress. The borrowed is my mother-in-law's tiara. The old is a heart-shaped necklace with a diamond in the middle that my father gave to my mother, which she never took off as it was presented as a wedding gift. My name is Astrid Hofferson, and I'm getting married in ten minutes to the love of my life; Hiccup Haddock. It wasn't always this way with us. In fact, I used to pick on Hiccup and his friends, calling them losers. Why would I do such a thing? Believe it or not; I was one of the wealthiest, most popular girls in High School, and Hiccup was the complete opposite. He was sarcastic, smart, funny, and somewhat quiet. I was a snobby, stuck-up, spoiled rich girl, but then something happened along the way in Senior Year that changed everything and our paths crossed, leading us to this very moment where we would say I Do and become husband and wife. I couldn't help but stand before this mirror, close my eyes and think back to where it all began four years ago in September 2021. It started on our first day of the final year at Archian Preparatory…

 _ **~Four Years Ago~**_

 _ **{Monday, September 5, 2021-7:20 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

I pulled up into my assigned parking space with my 2018 Blue Porsche, then shut it off and made sure the top was up. I stepped out and locked my car up before walking to the entrance of Archian Preparatory School. This would be my final year here and thank the Gods too. I hated this place because we had to wear uniforms, and everyone on the island went to the same school. I live in the Barbaric Archipelago on an island called Archia Isle. This land was big, and had about sixteen towns in it; Berk, Meathead, Berserker, Lava-Lout, Outcast, Hysteria, Shivering Shores, Bog-Burglar, Bashem, Murderous, Caldera Cay, Wingmaiden, Visithug, Uglithug, Quiets, and Dragon Hunter. Yes; we live among real dragons, and there are people out there who don't accept it, so they trap, sell, and hunt them. The best part about having dragons is that we humans can bond with one of our choosing, or sometimes; the dragon picks us as a trainer and flyer. Yeah, we ride dragons; it's pretty impressive. I don't have a dragon, none have really stuck out to me. My parents don't have dragons either. I mentioned before that aside from everyone going to the same school; we wear uniforms. The bottom line; they suck.

Girls wore a gray, just above the knee skirt, white short sleeve button-down shirt. Also, there was below the knee white socks, black shoes, and a black vest. Girls could wear heeled shoes as long as they were all black, close-toed, and not higher than one inch for the heel. The boys had black dress shoes, penny loafer style but with laces. Along with that, the males had gray pants, a white button-down shirt, and black tie, and the same sweater the girls sweater was optional, but as we live in a place that's always cold; it's advised we wear them. Also, the white shirts were either short or long sleeved; that was also our call. The school gave a standard issue of three uniforms. Two with long sleeves, one with short. If we wanted more; we had to buy them ourselves from the campus store. Not that it was a big deal for me; I came from a family with a lot of money.

My father, Colden Hofferson is the Mayor of Archia Isle. And my mother is a top doctor for the island. We reside in Berk, which is only twelve minutes away from the school. All the towns were no more than thirty minutes away, so that's an upside to all of this. The farthest spots are Dragon Hunter, Bog-Burglar, Wingmaiden, Berserker, Murderous, and Caldera Cay; just to reach the school, they have between a thirty and twenty-minute drive. The flight time is much shorter, almost half in fact. I got my car as a birthday present when I turned seventeen last March on the 9th when I was still a Junior. My parents pay the insurance, and it's registered to them. I can't wait to be eighteen, only six months to go. Nevermind my birthday, I just can't wait to be done with this school. I graduate in nine months, and then…Well, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Hang with friends, my boyfriend, stay out late, party; I suppose the possibilities are endless.

"Astrid!" I heard a few voices call to me. I turned right to see my friends and boyfriend coming near.

"We're finally Seniors!" Camicazi stated with a smile.

"Hey, baby girl," Eret wrapped his arms around my waist as I lifted my head up and he kissed me. "Mm, I've missed you,"

"Hi, babe," I replied. "And it's only been a week,"

"Our last year to rule the school," Thuggory chuckled, walking over to connect hands with Gruffnut and Eret.

"As we have since like, what? Seventh?" Gruffnut remarked, greeting the other males in the group.

"Yeah, thereabouts," Ragna inserted herself into the conversation.

"What's it matter how long?" Minden retorted.

"So true," I nodded in agreement. So my friends are Camicazi Boggs, Thuggory Meatsen, Gruffnut Thorston, Ragna Falk, and Nadia Warrier. My boyfriend is Eret Trapp; we've been together for a year and a half. Started in Sophomore Year on my sixteenth birthday. Thuggory's father is the headmaster of the school, and that keeps us off the radar with his old man when _problems_ arise between us and others. No one in my group has a bonded dragon, but I guess it'll happen when it's meant to. Camicazi and Thuggory were dating. Nadia, Ragna, and Gruffnut were single.

"Guess we should get inside," Thuggory mentioned after checking his phone. I glanced at mine to see that it was 7:25 am. Five minutes until the first bell. Our day ran from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm with five minutes in between each class. At 7:25, like now; we were expected to be getting to our first period at 7:30. By 3 pm, we'd be out and on our dragon, busses, or in vehicles to leave the grounds, unless there was after school things such as detention, sports, etc. Deciding not to get in trouble on the first day; we moved inside to reach our classes. My first one is Algebra. What a fun way to start the day? Not.

 **. . .**

 **{7:30 am}**

 **(Algebra, Room; C-4)**

I reached my class and walked in with the rest of the students just before the bell rang. I didn't have this course with any of my friends, which sucked, but what could I do? I did have it with people I picked on pretty often with my friends. This group is opposite of mine; as my gang is prevalent, these seven others were not. In fact; we called them _the losers_ pretty often. Right now, I was with Fishlegs Ingerman, Minden Guarder, and Ruffnut Thorston. Gruffnut Thorston is actually Ruffnut's cousin, but he's older by a year and stayed back in Freshman Year. Gruff is eighteen; he just turned August 11th before school started. My boyfriend, Eret, is nineteen; just turned July 2021. Camicazi is seventeen; her birthday is in August, about two weeks after Gruffnut's. And Nadia is eighteen, born in March. Thuggory is about to be eighteen in October. Ruffnut and her twin brother Tuffnut are both seventeen as of June 14th, 2021. Fishlegs is the youngest at sixteen, he will be seventeen in December.

The other members of this group are Minden Guarder, eighteen as of February 2021. So, actually, Minden is older than Gruffnut. Heather Bazirk, seventeen as of April 2021. Snotlout Jorgenson, seventeen as of May 2021. Also, Snot has a little sister, Adelaide, who is about to be fifteen in five days, September 10th; she's only a Sophomore. Finally, there is their leader, I guess. Hiccup Haddock, seventeen as of February 28th. However, Hiccup is a Leap Year baby, born on the 29th of February in 2004. Unfortunately, as much as I tease the guy for being a scrawny little twig; he's one of the smartest students in this school with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and he's had that average for as long as I've known him. For people I can't stand; I sure know a lot about them. I suppose that's because we've all gone to school together since Pre-School, and it might have something to do with the fact that most of Elementary School was starting the new year by learning names and birthdays, other small details about your classmates. Such is the life I guess.

"Students, take your seats please?" the teacher called. I looked at her; strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes. I sat down at a desk in the back and sighed. And so begins the next nine months of Senior Year. "I am Atali Mayden; you may call me Miss. M or Miss. Mayden. Now, this next week will be going over what you learned last year, and then we'll get into the new stuff," the woman, Miss. Mayden introduced. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as I carefully pulled it out and checked the screen. Texts from all my friends, and boyfriend. I smiled but knew I had to be careful. Phones could be taken away for the duration of class if the teacher felt necessary to remove them. If bad enough, the teacher could confiscate the device and hand it over to the principal for the day. The worst case was a parent having to come retrieve it. Thankfully; I never had this problem as I knew my phone inside and out; I could text without looking most of the time.

 **My Boyfriend[7:32 am]  
** _ **Hey, beautiful.**_

 **Ragna[7:33 am]  
** _ **Science sux. With Eret tho, not all bad I guess.**_

I replied to Eret first, then Ragna before slipping my phone away as Miss. Mayden was cleverly going over the rules of her classroom; it was no surprise that _No Cellphones_ was listed first and foremost. Some peopleGro obeyed this, but most did not. When my phone buzzed again; I saw that a group text; _The Pops_ , had been started for all of us to talk in one place. The Pops was just shortened from The Populars, I didn't come up with it; it seems Gruffnut did.

 **The Pops;**

 **Gruff[7:36 am]  
 _Hey,_** _ **gang. Hist sucks!**_

 **Thug[7:36 am]** _ **  
Sup, man? LA for me w/Nadi and Cam.**_

 **Nadia[7:37 am]** _ **  
Bored in LA.**_

 **Cami[7:37 am]** _ **  
Same. Hey, Nadi. I C U! LOL**_

 **Nadia[7:38 am]** _ **  
Ha! C u 2, Cam**_

I shook my head a bit. These guys/girls made me crack up. I decided I should probably reply.

 _You[7:38 am]  
In Alg. Goin ova rules._

 **My Boyfriend[7:40 am]** _ **  
Mad lame here in Sci**_

 **Ragna[7:41 am]** _ **  
W/Eret on that 1**_

I loved my friends; we always had a good time together. I suspected that sometime before the end of today; a final year party would get thrown. I couldn't wait for that. And…Dragon Training; it's my last period course. It's mainly to learn about the Dragon Classifications, training, possible bonding, and flying. Not everyone had to take DT, and it was a first come-first serve class, no more than twenty. Some people already had bonded dragons and went to an outside source for training and flying. They offered it here at the school for those who wanted to bond to a dragon or try at least. The training portion was going through dragons of each classification, and working with them to understand better. It was confusing, but no big deal. I'm sure we'd understand more when we got there. I decided to put the phone down because I noticed Miss. Mayden was glancing my way.

It sucked not having any of my friends in here, but there was nothing I could do. Oh well. Regardless of being alone in here; I knew things would be fine. I'm me, after all. I've also been called Queen Bitch, but I don't care. I sat back in the chair, sighing. This year would go right by, and I'd be done. Nothing could stop me with the reputation I have as Mayor's Daughter. I smirked a bit.

 _It's great to be me._ I thought.


	2. I Love My Life

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

I Love My Life

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Monday, September 5, 2021-11:50}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

The day hadn't been awful, just long and drawn out. My second-period class was Language Arts. Third was Health, but sometime in January after Midterms; we'd be doing Physical Education or Gym. I had History class after Health, and now, finally; it was lunch hour and I know I'd get to see everyone there. So, I didn't have class with any of my friends in Algebra. But, in LA, I had it with Eret. Also; I shared it with Hiccup, Snotlout, and Tuffnut. In Health, shocking; I had it with all my friends, and all of Hiccup's too. Weird how that worked out. In History; I have Eret, Gruffnut, Ragna, Tuffnut, and Minden. I also knew I'd have Dragon Training with everyone too, but that wasn't until last period. For after lunch; I would have Science. And the conversations with my friends informed me that I would have that course with Nadia, Gruffnut, and Thuggory. I tossed my books into my locked, which was in A-Hall, then made my way into the cafeteria.

"Over here, babe," Eret called to me. I smiled, waltzing over and sitting beside him. I noticed Hiccup, Snotlout, Minden, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Heather, and Fishlegs seated at the table next to ours.

"Ugh, why are we so close to them?" I asked.

"They were here first, and this was the only table close to the front where we always sit," Gruffnut remarked.

"Because it would kill you to be so close to your family, Gruff," Ruffnut stated from the other table.

"No one was talking to you, Loser," Nadia retorted.

"Nor were they you, Nadia," Heather rolled her eyes.

"Come on, guys; it's the first day of school…" Fishlegs sighed.

"I agree with Fishlegs; we don't have to see or speak to them. Let's just enjoy our lunch and ignore the over-privileged, rich, head up their butt assholes and snobby bitches," Hiccup grinned seeing Ragna, Nadia, Cami, and me gasp at what he said.

"How dare you," I rose to my feet.

"Astrid, sit down and be quiet. I wouldn't want you to do too much work and possibly break a nail," Hiccup shot a cocky look at me.

"Don't talk to my girl that way, Haddock," Eret warned.

"Or what? Gonna tell Thug's dad on me? Oh, I'm so scared," Hiccup took a bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah, fat lot of good it would do. Everyone knows Hiccup is one of the smartest people in this school and a model student. Meatsen would never believe he's causing trouble," Tuffnut laughed, high-fiving Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Hiccup. It was sad that the statement was true. Hiccup was a know-it-all, sarcastic mouthed, twig…But he wasn't a troublemaker. And what I hated more was that in elementary school; I actually kind of liked him a little; he was skinny and clumsy. The guy could always make me giggle, but times have changed since then. I met Eret in ninth grade, and we've been together since March 2020 when I turned sixteen. Eret and I started having sex after about nine months of dating, but we'd used foreplay at five months, right before our Junior Year began.

I grabbed my orange and threw it at Hiccup, then felt a pain on my finger. Hiccup caught the orange with one hand as I checked my finger and realized that I _did_ break a damn nail throwing that piece of fruit. Hiccup got up from his seat and walked over next to me, setting the orange down on my tray.

"I believe this is yours, Milady, so is the nail you broke embedded in it. Thought you might like it back, your high bitchiness," Hiccup bowed his while his friends were laughing it up at how smooth and sarcastic he was about it. Also, Hiccup had said if I did anything; I'd break a nail, and the little loser was right about it happening. Hiccup walked away, returning to his seat and continuing to eat.

"Here, girl," Camicazi offered a small nail-repair kit to me; it had glue, fake nails, and a file to use. I wore gel nails, but this would do until I could get to the salon on Saturday or Sunday. I muttered while working on putting a temporary nail on, then filing it to match the others. Nadia painted the white french tip, then used top coat. Once that was dry, I started eating, glaring at Hiccup the entire time while talking to my friends. I hated that I had shared LA, Science, Health, and Lunch with this guy. And Dragon Training! Ugh!

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Cafeteria)**_

"So, you all ready for DT?" Nadia inquired.

"Can't wait," Eret nodded.

"Right? Hoping for a Nightmare," Thuggory agreed.

"Not sure for me," Camicazi shrugged. "How about you, Gruff?"

"Eh, it's not really my thing. I won't be in DT with ya; taking Auto in place of it," Gruffnut responded.

"Well, that sucks," Ragna informed. "Any of you notice that we don't have a teacher listed for this course?"

"Really?" I said, checking my schedule. Ragna was right; there was no teacher named for Dragon Training. How odd. Everyone else was there. Atali Mayden for Algebra. Mildew Fungis for Language Arts. Mulch Fishers for History, and Bucket Farmer for Science. Sven Silenson for Heath/Gym. There was nothing for Dragon Training; the space was blank. I guess we'd find out at 2 pm.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Training Field)**_

This would be exciting; I couldn't wait to meet the dragons on the school campus and learn more about them. I made my way outside with Eret, Ragna, Nadia, Thuggory, and Camicazi. Much to my dismay, Snotlout, Hiccup, Heather, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut were there also. Seemed we were going to be a small class because no one else was here. Reaching the field; we looked around for our teacher but didn't see anyone around.

"Dagur?" I turned my head to see Heather looking up at the sky where there was a male riding a green Gronckle. The dragon landed as the man hopped off and Heather squealed rushing over to hug him tightly. "Dagur!"

"Heh. Hey, sis," Dagur replied to Heather. Huh. I didn't know Heather had an older brother, guy couldn't have been more than three years older than her, though.

"What are you doing here?" Heather asked him.

"I'm here as your dragon trainer. Well, sort of," Dagur shrugged as he shook Hiccup's hand. "What's up, brother?" Now, I'm confused. Hiccup, Heather, and Dagur were all siblings?

"Last I checked, the sky," Hiccup responded.

"Oh, that was a good one," Dagur laughed a bit.

"So, are we gonna learn anything other than how big your family is?" Eret remarked.

"Shows what you know," Heather scoffed. "Dagur and I are siblings. Hiccup is a good friend who Dagur sees like a little brother,"

"Ignore them, Dag. So, you square everything away with the headmaster?" Hiccup inquired.

"All set," Dagur nodded.

"What are you two concocting, and what does it have to do with my dad," Thuggory questioned.

"Well, the school board says you need an adult present for this course, and as I'm twenty; I get to be the adult supervision," Dagur informed.

"But you…aren't the trainer?" I tried. Dagur shook his head to me. "So who is?" Dagur smiled as he pulled Hiccup next to him, then put a hand around his shoulders.

"This guy," Dagur beamed. My mouth dropped open, so did my friend's.

"What?!" we shouted.

"There's no way he can be the trainer!" Nadia stated quickly.

"Hiccup is more than qualified for the position," Fishlegs pointed out.

"HOW? He's only seventeen, like us. You gotta have a Trainer and Flier License to do this, and they don't issue those until you bond with a dragon, and have taken these lessons!" Camicazi reminded.

"Hiccup has had a dragon since he was fifteen," Ruffnut mentioned.

"And he's already done these courses at an outside location over the summer before Sophomore Year. Hiccup's qualified to train and fly all types of dragon besides just his. The only problem is that there has to be an adult present, so that's me, and Hiccup is the lead trainer. I learned everything I do about dragon from this kid," Dagur chuckled.

"I'll take care of this; I'll just call my da-," Thuggory started.

"That won't be necessary, son," the headmaster, Mogadon Meatsen approached our group. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Hiccup can't be our trainer," Ragna said.

"Why not?" Mogadon questioned.

"He's our age…How can he be qualified for all of it?" I stated.

"Hiccup Haddock has grown up around dragons, all kinds from each classification. Hiccup volunteers in his mother's shelter and scored the highest marks in his training courses when he was fifteen-years-old. Also, it only took him two months to do it. The school board wouldn't allow for him to run the class alone as he's a minor, so we appointed Mr. Bazirk here as the adult supervision. I'll expect you to behave, and if you'd like to remain in the course, then deal with Mr. Haddock as your trainer," Mogadon informed firmly. "They are all yours, Hiccup," he added with a smile.

"Thank you, Headmaster Meatsen," Hiccup nodded respectfully.

"I knew you might have some trouble, so I asked if he'd be kind enough to stop outside around this time to set the others straight," Dagur patted Hiccup's shoulder.

"Thanks, brother," Hiccup said as Dagur beamed when Hiccup called him that. "Now, why don't we get started?" he added. I grumbled and hated that Hiccup was teaching us about dragons. At the same time; I suppose I couldn't argue with Thuggory's father's words. If Hiccup were indeed this good, then we'd be learning from one of the best, and I expected perfection when it came to my studies. I didn't know about the others, but I would deal with it.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Hofferson Residence)**_

Dragon training ended with us going over the seven classifications of dragons, and a few examples in each. Also, what else we could expect to be taught in that course. Dagur didn't do much but stand idly by with his Gronckle, as we learned is a male and named Shattermaster. We learned too that Hiccup was responsible for helping Dagur bond to Shattermaster during our Summer Break between Junior and Senior Year. Finally, I was home. As I assumed, my dad and mom were still working and would be until later tonight. Mom's hours depended on when she went in or if she was on call, sometimes if there was an emergency. Dad typically didn't arrive back until after 7:30 pm, sometimes it was 6, but not very often. Being it was the first day of school; we didn't have homework. Most of today was meeting teachers, going over classroom rules, and getting out textbooks along with a list of other materials we'll need for individual classes.

I tossed my bag to the floor and took off my uniform sweater, shoes, and sock before flopping on the couch tiredly. No sooner than I closed my eyes, there was a knock on my door. Groaning, I got up and went to the door to see Eret. Of course, opening it more; I saw Ragna, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Gruffnut too. They were always coming over because my house was big and my parents were hardly ever home.

"Hey, babe," I greeted. "Hi, guys and girls," I said to the others. Eret leaned in and kissed me lustfully while the rest squeaked by and got comfortable in my living room. Eret and I were still making out as he pushed me into the house a bit more and used his foot to close the door. I pushed him back a little.

"Come on, baby girl…Give me a little something?" Eret asked. I smiled.

"You guys know how to work the TV and stuff. Be back in fifteen to twenty," I said, then pulled Eret's hand up the stairs to my bedroom, closing the door as we starting making out once more.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Twenty Minutes Later}**_

 _ **(Astrid's Room)**_

Eret and laid in my bed under the comforter, both naked, and panting from the quick sex we just had. I was lying on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around me while our clothes were scattered on the floor. As always; we used condoms, and I was on the five-year IUD Mirena. I was on the Depo Shot, but I kept gaining weight, so I switched in August to the Mirena. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about it until 2026, when I'd be way out High School, have a good job, settled down, then be able to have kids.

"That never gets old. You made sure the condom didn't leak right?" I asked him.

"You know I did, Ast. Why you worried anyway; you got that IUD in," Eret mentioned.

"Any form of birth control can still fail, Eret, and you know I don't want a baby right now," I sighed.

"I know. Sorry. Anyway…Do your parents know we have sex?" Eret wondered.

"They probably have their suspicions, which is why mom suggested a better birth control," I stated.

"Ah. And they are cool with this?" Eret looked down at me.

"Well, they haven't said anything to me," I replied. Eret kissed me again. "Let's get dressed and joined the others," I added. Eret nodded as we climbed out of bed and re-dressed, then left my bedroom to get downstairs where our friends were.

 **. . .**

 **(Living Room)**

"About time," Gruffnut remarked.

"Shut it. My house," I huffed. Gruffnut shrugged and got back to gaming with Thuggory, which Eret soon joined in on as I turned my attention to the girls to talk to them. I had my parents, friends, decent marks in school, a car, money…This was the life, and it was perfect. _Gods, I love my life_.


	3. Haddock Manor

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Haddock Manor

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 1, 2021-12:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

I've been in my Senior Year for a month now. The first week was all review and preparing for the year ahead of us. At the start of the second week; we began getting homework. The most straightforward course we had was Dragon Training, and that's only because Hiccup just had doing research on dragons in specific classes. Although, some of that was difficult; there seven classifications of dragons, and different amounts of them in each one. After researching, we'd get to see some of the types up close, and work with them in approaching, calming, gaining trust, and training. According to Hiccup, we wouldn't get to flying for another couple of months. Hiccup expressed that we wouldn't get to bonding until after we passed classifications. It's funny; Hiccup says he's been bonded since he was fifteen, but we've never see his dragon. And another thing; I wondered how this guy managed to do all his homework for classes, then sit down to grade our Dragon Training work. Plus, I've heard Hiccup has an after-school job too, but I forget where. My friends and I go out to eat a lot, and I know we've gone to a place where we've seen Hiccup working before. Overall, this year was going okay.

"Youwho…Astrid? You with us?" Ragna's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hm? Yeah, I am," I replied.

"You've been zoned out for five minutes," Thuggory mentioned.

"Sorry. I'm thinking about this research assignment for History that's due on Monday," I informed.

"Oh, is it the one about finding a historic place and writing about its history from beginning to present?" Gruffnut inquired.

"That's it," I nodded.

"Yeah, we all have it," Cami said.

"What place are you picking?" Eret wondered.

I shrugged, shaking my head as if to say I had no idea. "The most historic places in the entire Archipelago are in right in Berk," we heard Fishlegs say.

"Because it's said to have been the first settlement for Vikings. We're talking the year 793, start of the Viking Age," Heather added.

"And home island to the King of the Wilderwest, none other than Hic-," Snotlout started as Hiccup shushed him, then motioned to the fact my group was listening in to their conversation. "Oh, right," he said, nodding.

"Well, we might not all be in the same History class, but we have the same assignment," Minden smiled.

"I think we should work on it together. We can ask Mr. Fishers if it'll be okay to turn in a group report about one location," Ruffnut offered.

"I don't see why not. We'll go before the end of lunch," Hiccup said.

"The question is what place can we use? We're all from Berk, except for Minden, but she's only North of us on Wingmaiden," Tuffnut stated.

"Yeah, but I'm just twenty minutes away," Minden reminded.

"True," Heather nodded. "Honestly, I think we should do it on Berkian Estate,"

"Really?!" Hiccup asked quickly.

"Dude, it's the oldest place around in Berk and rumored to be home to the King of the Wilderwest; the guy who ended that first dragon war or whatever. Hiccup, it'd be exciting to see if we can learn about its history! It's been around since the late 8th Century," Fishlegs exclaimed.

"Ugh. Fine. IF Mr. Fishers says it's okay; we'll use Berkian Estates. For the time being, we'll discuss it more after DT, guys," Hiccup said, then they changed subjects to their weekend plans.

"Hmph. The losers don't have a bad idea there. Doing a group report on a place, and their choice is awesome. Berkian Estates would guarantee us a good grade," Camicazi said.

"There is no way Mr. Fishers is gonna let all ten of us turn in the same research assignment," Eret informed.

"Maybe not, but we can at least gather information off the web, and maybe something from them and make our own group report; it'll work," Gruffnut offered.

"You mean eavesdrop and copy," Ragna rolled her eyes.

"Exactly. All we have to do is change a few things and boom. Instant A…or at least a B," Gruffnut said.

"I guess we can try. It's not like these losers are hard to follow," Thuggory retorted.

"Then it's settled. We'll listen in and see what we gather off them," I nodded, and they did too in agreement.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2 pm}**_

 _ **(DT Field)**_

Camicazi was the only person who had History last period before Dragon Training, so we left it up to her to be given the weekend homework, then ask if we could submit a group report if everyone did a different piece on the same historical property. Mr. Farmers said that was fine, but Camicazi messed up in mentioning what place we would do. Hiccup had gone to Mr. Farmers ten minutes before lunch ended and asked him the same question about group reports, so now, Mr. Farmers thinks we copied them as there was only fifteen minutes between inquiries from the two people. Camicazi said that we were all working together, and Mr. Farmers was delighted to hear that fourteen people were so interested in one location, and he expected a full report from us on Monday morning, whoever had History first would turn it in. All our names had to be on it, and the different parts we wrong needed to be in order.

"I can't believe you said what place we were gonna do!" Nadia scoffed.

"I'm sorry; it slipped out when he stared me down!" Camicazi said quickly.

"Now we have to find a way to work with them," Gruffnut mumbled.

"Yeah, cold day in Hell," Eret sighed.

"I think I have a way we could get them to agree…" I tapped my chin.

"What are you thinking?" Thuggory wondered.

"Let me worry about that; I'll tell you at the end of class," I informed as they nodded and Hiccup arrived with Dagur.

"Alright, students; let's pick up from yesterday in the Tidal Class with the Sliquifier," Hiccup called. And for the next hour; this is what we'd be doing. Since starting in classifications at the beginning of the year; we've already completed Tracker, which had seven dragons in it. We were done with that after two. And Mystery with eighteen dragons has also been finished. Right now, we're doing Tidal Class, which holds thirteen dragons listed, and we would be done by the 29th, or so Hiccup believes. So I wondered what would be next. "Oh, and we're moving to Strike Class; we need to get these done by January when your midterms are. Strike only has five dragons, so we should finish with that fairly quickly at the start of November. From there we'll be going Stoker, as it's particularly long, then Boulder, and finally, Sharp," he announced.

 **. . .**

 **{3:05 pm}**

 **(Student Parking Lot)**

After Dragon Training ended; I had the others follow me to my car in the Student Lot. As I already knew Hiccup was headed there to get to his car, which I've never seen before now. It wasn't even a car; it was a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, all black with light gray patches; kind of like scales. I didn't know Hiccup owned something like that; it was an expensive vehicle.

"We're being followed," Fishlegs told Hiccup. The auburn-haired teenager stopped and looked back at us, then kept walking, but never said anything.

 _=Normal POV=_

"Just keep walking, Legs," Hiccup responded upon reaching his Jeep and unlocking it. Ruffnut and Tuffnut jumped in the rear back seating. Snotlout, Heather, and Minden took the three in the middle. Fishlegs and Hiccup loading in up front with Hiccup driving. "They're up to something…" he whispered. "Snot, where's your sister?"

"Right here, Hiccup!" Adelaide called, rushing past Astrid and her friends. Snotlout moved and allowed Adelaide to crawl into the back with Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Seat belts!" Hiccup reminded, then started up the Jeep, backed out, then joined in line with the rest of the students leaving.

"Load up; let's follow them," Astrid told her group. In an agreement, they loaded up between Astrid's car and Thuggory's. Eret with Astrid in hers, and the rest in Thuggory's orange SUV.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Raven Point Hills)**_

In one of the most historic and luxurious neighborhoods in Berk laid Raven Point Hills. A secluded section of land where only the best of the wealthiest members of the community resided. Most of the homes were hidden from view because of the trees, but that's what a lot of owners liked; privacy. Astrid was following a few cars behind Hiccup, and Thuggory behind them. Hunter turned on to Cove Way as the other vehicles Astrid and Thuggory had been using for cover continued on.

"Hic, they're still following us," Heather mentioned while looking back to see Astrid's blue Porche almost right behind but a good few feet back.

"I'll deal with this," Hiccup stated as he pulled off to the side of the road, threw the gear in park, then got out of the car and stepped out into the street as Astrid came to a quick stop. Hiccup moved around to the driver's side. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing way up here in Raven Point Hills?" he asked.

"We came up here for our history report; researching Berkian Estates," Astrid replied calmly.

"Yeah, researching the idea you stole from my friends and I," Hiccup retorted.

"It's a free island, Loser. We can choose any place we want," Eret huffed.

"Except for the fact you happened to be sitting next to my friends and me at lunch when we talked about what our choice and the idea to do a group project," Hiccup reminded.

"Well, we're already here, so might as well see it through. As we all have the same idea…Why don't we…Work together?" Astrid suggested.

"Excuse me?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"Yeah. I mean; we all chose the same place, and we're here together…So why don't we share the work? Fourteen heads are better than one, right?" Astrid continued gently.

"Come on, Hiccup…" Eret pushed after Astrid elbowed him in the arm. Hiccup seemed to roll his eyes, then look up and sigh heavily.

"Fine, you can come…But for the love of Odin…Best behaviors…" Hiccup said.

"Promise," Astrid nodded. Hiccup moved back to his car and got into the driver's seat, then got back on the road. Less than two minutes later, Hiccup pulled up to a gate and rolled his window down. Seconds after that, the gate opened and remained that way as Hiccup's Jeep, Astrid's car, and Thuggory's SUV made it inside, then the object shut tightly. Hiccup led them up the long driveway as the stone mansion came into sight. Though in different cars, Astrid, Eret, Thuggory, Nadia, Gruffnut, Camicazi, and Ragna stared in awe of the home. Hiccup's car turned right to the flat-stone driveway way that had a fountain, and places to park. Hiccup motioned for them to park at the edge while he went in front of the main door. A man stepped out and walked around to Hiccup's side, opening his vehicle door and offering a bow as Hiccup got out.

"Shall I park your car for the evening?" the man inquired softly while Hiccup's friends were out as well. Hiccup handed the man his keys with a nod. "Shall I move these two cars to the motor court?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you," Hiccup told him, then the male climbed into Hiccup's Jeep, driving it back on to the driveway, and pulling into another area before it went out of sight.

"What was that all about?" Nadia asked.

"Why did your car get taken over there?" Thuggory inquired.

"Because my vehicle is being put in the garage?" Hiccup replied, then moved to the front door.

"Do you know the owners or something?" Astrid put her hands on her hips. "Are you a frequent visitor?"

"Yes, and yes," Hiccup put his hand on the door handle with a smile. Gods, he was going to enjoy this way more than he should. Hiccup looked at them. "Welcome to my humble abode," he said as they looked confused and in disbelief.

"No…No; it can't be-" they whispered.

Hiccup grinned a little. "Oh, but it is. This is Haddock Manor," Hiccup watched their mouths drop, and eyes widen.


	4. A Glimpse

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

A Glimpse

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 1, 2021-3:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

"This is Haddock Manor," Hiccup had said to Astrid, Thuggory, Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Gruffnut, and Ragna. However, none of them could believe it. Yet, maybe they could. This property was supposed to be private, but arriving at the gate; Hiccup was able to gain access right way. Getting to the driveway, someone asked Hiccup if they should put his car away from the night. Hiccup wouldn't have been allowed to do such things if he didn't know the owners personally, or as he had said; he lived there. Also, Hiccup didn't refer to this place as Berkian Estate; he called it Haddock Manor, and Haddock was Hiccup's last name. It was true, and no matter how they wanted to deny it, the seven of them couldn't. This was Hiccup's house.

"Wow," Camicazi blinked.

"Dude, you been holding out!" Eret smacked him on the back with a laugh.

"Uh, no…I haven't. My business is none of yours," Hiccup retorted with an eye roll.

"You live in a friggin mansion!" Thuggory said, still in shock with the others.

"Yes, I do. Are we just going to stand out here, or go in?" Hiccup sighed.

"What's something like this run ya?" Ragna wondered.

"I don't know…Probably somewhere in the forty-million range?" Hiccup shrugged.

"When did you move here?" Gruffnut asked.

"Been here. Berkian Estates is just a cover, but this has always been a Haddock home; it's been in my family since the dawn of the Viking Era in 763. Back then it was just a wooden house, and it was remodeled to a stone build in the twelfth century, then over the years slowly been expanded on and renovated to a modern living space as it is now," Hiccup explained while turning the handle. "Remember what I said you seven…You fuck up, and you will regret it…" he warned once more as he pushed the door open revealing the entryway.

"Ah, welcome home, young master," came a voice from a man who walked towards them.

"Thank you, Sigurd. Have my parents arrived home yet?" Hiccup inquired.

"Yes, sir. I'm afraid I don't know where they are, though. Shall I take yours and your guest's jackets?" Sigurd asked.

"Please, thank you," Hiccup pulled his jacket off and handed it to the man, and then the rest did the same as Sigurd carefully hung all outerwear in the closet on the left of them.

"Will your friends be joining for supper?" Sigurd wondered.

"Likely," Hiccup nodded.

"Excellent, sir. I'll inform the cook straight away," Sigurd then closed the door to the home and hurried off.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour later," Hiccup motioned for them to follow. "MOM! DAD! I'm home!" he called out.

"We're in the Great Room, son!" bellowed a male's voice. Hiccup smiled as he walked straight ahead, then banked a right down a hall, before quickly turning into a door on the left. Hiccup found his parents sitting together on a couch that faced the backyard.

"Brought friends, and…Extras," Hiccup said as his parents rose and faced him with broad smiles. The female had a lean figure with light auburn-colored hair and blue/green eyes. The male was much more substantial with a long red beard and hair, but green eyes like Hiccup's.

"Lovely, dear," the woman stated. "I know six of these friends, who are the other seven?" she asked.

"Ah, I know one of them. You're Colby Hofferson's daughter, aren't you?" the man said, motioning to Astrid.

"Y-Yes, sir; I am. Astrid Hofferson, pleased to meet you, Mr. Haddock," Astrid introduced formally. Hiccup was a bit surprised; he didn't know Astrid had that in her.

"We're all…Working on a project together for history, a report about a historical place in the Archipelago. The vote was for _Berkian Estate_ ," Hiccup hinted.

"That's wonderful, son. I'm sure your father has the files in his desk about the history of this home," the woman assured and the man nodded. The others saw a portly man in a soldier's uniform sneaking into the room from the side that Hiccup had his back turned towards. The male tapped Hiccup's shoulder, then took a step back as Hiccup turned to see him. Instantly, Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Un-Uncle Go-Gobber?" Hiccup forced out.

"Surprise!" the male, Gobber announced.

"Oh, my Gods!" Hiccup threw himself at the man, hugging him tightly. "You're home!" Gobber chuckled, hugging Hiccup back. Hiccup's parents leaned into one another, smiling still.

"He showed up an hour ago with Grump," Hiccup's father said.

"That's Hiccup's Godfather and unofficial uncle; Gobber Forger," Adelaide beamed.

"Gobber's been serving overseas in Afghanistan for the past year; they haven't seen one another in eight months," Heather explained. "And those two are his parents. Dragon Veterinarian Valka Haddock, and her husband, Stoick. Astrid, he works with your father at Archia Island Hall," she added. Astrid nodded, understanding as it now made sense how Stoick knew her.

Hiccup and Gobber finally pulled back from the hug. "This is…Amazing!" Hiccup explained. "I-Is this just leave or…" he trailed off.

Gobber smiled, ruffling Hiccup's auburn hair. "Tour is over, laddie; Uncle Gobber's home for good," Gobber said. Hiccup hugged him again. "I didn't resign my contract for service, kiddo," he added as Hiccup gasped in surprised.

"Re-Really?" Hiccup asked.

"I've been in the army since I was eighteen. After thirty-five years and five tours of duty, lad; I'm more than ready to retire at the rank of Captain, and enjoy spending time with my favorite family," Gobber enlightened.

"We're your only family, or so I've been told," Hiccup laughed.

"That's why you're the favorite," Gobber bonked Hiccup's head.

"Hi, Uncle Gobber," Adelaide went over to hug the man.

"Ello, lassie," Gobber returned the action. Fishlegs and Snotlout went over next, shaking Gobber's hand and welcoming him home.

"Does everyone call him Uncle Gobber?" Camicazi wondered.

"Oh, you didn't know that Snotlout, Adelaide, and Fishlegs are my cousins? Snotlout and Adelaide are my firsts because their dad is my dad's brother, and Fishlegs is a third," Hiccup informed calmly. "I think because of our great, great, great…grandfather?" he trailed off, slightly unsure of the answer.

"Huh, learn something new every day," Gruffnut blinked.

"We gotta celebrate you being home, my friend," Stoick patted Gobber's shoulder. "I've have the cooks prepare a feast,"

"Honestly, the only thing I want is some of the Haddock Family home cooking, minus Val in the kitchen," Gobber added quickly.

"Hey!" Valka frowned.

"Val, he's not wrong," Stoick reminded as the woman crossed her arms over her chest, glaring.

"I think you and Uncle Gobber just got yourselves put in the stables for the night," Hiccup snickered. "In all seriousness, though…Mom; you can't cook. Last time you tried, we had to remodel the kitchen, and that was three years ago…" Hiccup said.

"You watch it, young man, or you're joining them in the stables," Valka warned.

"Pfft, wouldn't be the first time I've slept out there," Hiccup retorted.

"Then I'll ground you!" Valka threatened.

"From what, Mom? School? Homework? My job?..." Hiccup listed a few off. Valka went to reply, then stopped with a huff. "Sure, I'll cook tonight," Hiccup shrugged to Gobber. "Any requests?" he inquired.

"Oh, will ya do yer Chicken Farfalle fer me, lad? I haven't had that in ages!" Gobber's eyes brightened up.

"Whatever you want, Uncle Gobber. I'll have the cook pull it out for me, and we'll eat around 6 pm?" Hiccup offered as Gobber, Stoick, and Valka nodded in agreement. "Perfect. You lot, follow me," he motioned for them to walk with him. Hiccup walked out of the side entryway, past an elevator, and into the sizeable chef-style kitchen.

"Ah, Young Master Haddock! How was your day?" a cheery man greeted with a smile.

"Can't complain, Hagen. Yours?" Hiccup asked.

"Always good. Now, have you come to give me what your parents would like for dinner?" Hagen replied.

"Actually, by request; I'll be cooking this evening. Don't suppose you'd pull out what I need for a 6 pm meal and getting it prepared?" Hiccup inquired.

"Certainly, my friend! Which of your specialties will be tonight's supper?" Hagen wondered.

"Chicken Farfalle. So the chicken, bowtie pasta, olive oil, seasonings, and the broccoli. You know what I need to make the dish," Hiccup told him.

"Aye, sir! I'll have it out and prepared for cooking by 5:45," Hagen saluted.

"Good man," Hiccup and the cook fist-bumped, then Hiccup started walking again as the rest followed.

"So, we getting that tour?" Camicazi wondered curiously.

"Oh, I suppose. Come on," Hiccup stated. Leading them back to the main entrance because it was easier; Hiccup stood at the door. "Alright left is the coat room, right is a bathroom; just toilet and sink, though. Uh, next room on the left is a formal dining room, and the door under the staircase there is my dad's office. That spiral staircase leads upstairs, which we'll go after the main floor," Hiccup explained, then walked forward more back towards that hall they were in before Hiccup found his parents.

"Down this hall on the left with two entrances is the Great Room, so a glorified living space, but great view of the backyard. Uh, this is another bathroom, then another entry to dad's office. Straight down is the Ballroom," Hiccup enlightened showing them each place as they passed it. "Mom's office is that back room; you can get there from the Ballroom or the Great Room," Hiccup revealed both spots. "On this side of the Ballroom is a path to a mini-bar, then more down is a hall through to the library. Also, the Ballroom is connected to the Terrace,"

"Wow. What's this staircase lead to?" Thuggory asked.

"Lower Level; we'll hit that later," Hiccup stated, then led them back down the corridor into the back Foyer, where there was a door leading outside. Hiccup pushed it open, revealing the backyard to them. "Haddock Stables," he pointed to a large structure towards the treeline. "Pool, hot tub, little outside kitchen space for cookouts, fireplace, changing areas," Hiccup showed them each thing by pointing.

"Can we see the dragons?" Nadia wondered.

Hiccup put his fingers to the corners of his mouth and gave a long, loud whistle. Seconds later, the stable doors opened by a staff member, and three dragons rushed forward. Hiccup greeted each one gently by rubbing under their chins or touching his nose to their snouts. "This is Cloudjumper, my mother's Stormcutter. This fella is Skullcrusher, my dad's Rumblehorn. And this Gobber's Hotburple, Grump," Hiccup introduced but was still looking around. "Huh, should be one more…" he muttered. "Hey, Tore!"

"Yes, Master Hiccup?" the man hurried over.

"Where's my girl?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiding. You know she loves to play," Tore chuckled.

Hiccup sighed. "Indeed I do…I think I can draw her out…" Hiccup said, the cupped his hand over his mouth. "AWOOO!" Hiccup sounded.

"What was that?" Astrid asked.

"Dragon call; we'll get to that in training before Midterms," Hiccup informed.

"Shall we try the chicken, sir?" Tore wondered holding a leg out for him. Hiccup held it by the bottom bone, waving it around. Seconds later, Hiccup heard the beating of wings as he smirked and threw the chicken leg in the air just as a blue and yellow Deadly Nadder zipped through, grabbing it with her mouth, then coming back around and landing beside him with a squawk; nudging and nuzzling his face.

"And this is Stormfly; she's my girl," Hiccup told them.

"Oh, she's…Beautiful…" Astrid complimented. Stormfly licked the side of Hiccup's face, effectively making the right stick straight up.

"Ugh, Stormfly!..." Hiccup grumbled as the Nadder almost laughed at him. "Yeah, we'll see who is laughing when you don't get your morning flight tomorrow…" Stormfly squawked at him sadly, nudging gently and purring almost. "Alright, I forgive you, girl." Hiccup rubbed his forehead to hers. "Take CJ, Crusher, and Grump back to the stables for me, and maybe there's more chicken in it for you," Stormfly's yellow eye lit up as she roared to the other three, hurrying them into the stables once more. "Give her five more, Tore,"

"Right away, Mr. Haddock," Tore said, then rushed back, closing the doors.

"Come on, there's more to see," Hiccup invited the others to follow him back in. "Alright, so that little thing is the elevator between all three floors," he showed them as they entered. "This is the kitchen, as you saw before. Through it is the smaller family room, and dining area. This little opening is to the dining room, but usually just for staff, and that room is the panty. Past the family room is a small hallway, right around here is another bathroom; only toilet and sink. Uh, more down this way is bathroom, same as before, downstairs set of stairs, another small Foyer. We got two guest bedrooms at the end, sporting full baths in each. Along the right here leads out to the Motor Court, or commonly known as the five-car garage square and two storage areas,"

Hiccup opened the main door to show it to them. "Those two spots across the way are for overnight guests, and these three are me, mom, and dad," Hunter pointed to each. "That archway is the entrance," he added. "I think that's it for main floor," he led them back through to the Grand Foyer/Entrance of the home, then up the stairs. "We got the balcony looking down to where we just were," he showed them. "Up here is mostly bedrooms, and laundry," Hiccup moved the group towards the door right on the right at the end. "Master bedroom with sitting room, his and her closets and bathrooms,"

"Your parent's room, right?" Ragna inquired.

"Correct. That's the elevator," he pointed, then opened another door on his right. "This is my room and the full bathroom," Hiccup revealed. "There's another bedroom next to mine, just smaller, but has a full bathroom. And there's a space across the hall from mine here. Um, little closet. If ya keep going down this hall, there's an entry to laundry, then another bedroom with full bathroom. Down this hall is another bedroom and full washroom. That space over the two-car garage is the staff quarters, but most of them stay out in the mini-units out back, so that's two more bedrooms over there, and there's an entrance to it downstairs between the two garages," Hiccup explained.

"Damn, Hic; you got a serious pad," Gruffnut laughed.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Hiccup grinned, leading them back downstairs by the central staircase, then the one right near garage entrance Foyer, which took them downstairs into the basement. Hiccup took them right off the stairwell and into a hallway. "Okay, we have the Wine Cellar, and two storage rooms, there's also an access outside to get into those and the basement, but it's typically locked from the inside unless we need it. Up this hall leads you into the Lower Foyer, where there is a bathroom on your left, the Theater, a Recreation room, Gamer's Paradise, work out, dry spa, and massage room. There's a smaller indoor pool and jacuzzi too. And to top it off, one more guest bedroom. But, I'm the only one who uses it on night I don't feel like hiking my ass back upstairs to sleep in my own room. That's it; that's the whole house," Hiccup smiled facing them after they ended up back in the Gamer's Paradise area since he'd shown them each room as he mentioned it,"

The _populars_ as they referred to themselves didn't know what to say. All this time they thought Hiccup was some lower class teenager with an average life, but as it turns out; Hiccup was loaded and lived in a mansion. None of them could believe it. However, the truth was right there in front of them. They never would have suspected that Hiccup was rich, or had all this because he never played the part. Hiccup still acted as if everything he had wasn't a big deal. One thing was for sure, who knew what other secrets he had? And most of the seven in the wealthy group were super jealous after this little glimpse into the life of Hiccup Haddock.


	5. Different Than The Rest

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Different Than The Rest

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 1, 2021-4:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I couldn't believe that Hiccup Haddock lived here at Berkian Estates! Sure, I've seen everything that I have from his parents to his home, but it's still surreal to me. Haddock Manor as Hiccup calls the house is massive, and I'm almost jealous to admit that his place is a lot more substantial in size than mine. Even that of my friend's homes too. I just couldn't wrap my head about the fact that Hiccup's family was loaded, and learning he had a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly as his dragon. For Odin's sake; Hiccup has been bonded for three years! And this property has been in Hiccup's family for centuries! It was unbelievable, and I wouldn't if someone just told me. However, I was standing here in the flesh having seen it all with my own two eyes. Hell, during the tour of his house, Hiccup also revealed that there was a full basketball court half a level down. When going down the stairs, to the basement, if you went through the left door, and went down about eight steps, you were in the court, and it had boys and girls locker rooms! It was incredible!

Right now, we were still downstairs admiring the recreation area. I mean, come on; it had everything, including a home theater. I was just in shock, and Hiccup was so calm about everything too. How had we never known that Hiccup was one of us; a rich guy.

"This is insane. How come you never told us?" Ragna broke the sullen silence of the Gamer's Paradise that we were standing in.

"About what?" Hiccup replied while going into the mini-kitchen off to the right.

"That you're one of us," Thuggory said.

"I fail to see how I am," Hiccup returned with a water bottle, then taking a drink from it and leaning against the wall, leg slightly crossed over the other one, toe of the shoe touching the ground but not the rest.

"Dude! You're friggin' loaded," Gruffnut pointed.

Hiccup shrugged casually. "So?"

"You're one of us!" Camicazi stated.

"No, I'm Hiccup Haddock," Hiccup responded.

"You know what I mean! You're rich, so you're one of us," Camicazi mumbled.

"Oh, I see now. You think I'm one of you just because you realized that I'm not a third class citizen? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm gonna be _that_ guy. I'm not one of you because I don't let money decide where I stand in life," Hiccup informed calmly. "Having all this doesn't change who I am. I could be living in a run-down trailer park and still be content as long as I have good friends and my family in my life,"

"Ugh…" Eret stuck his tongue out. "All this and he still talks like a loser,"

"Least I'm happy," Hiccup shrugged again. "If money is how you decide where people rate in your life, then you have a problem because what happens the day wealth isn't on your side? What if you ended up broke tomorrow? Would your friends still want to hang with you knowing you have nothing?" Hiccup asked as Eret didn't have a remark.

"Of course," Eret finally said.

"You had an awfully long pause for someone who seems so sure of himself," Hiccup remarked. "You're all friends because you share a common aspect of life; being rich and spoiled rotten making you think you have the right to control those around you. Newsflash, when the money is gone; you got nothing. You'll be thrown aside, regarded a loser just like me,"

"That's not true," I stated.

"Isn't it? Do you know why I don't tell people about all this, Astrid?" Hiccup inquired as the seven nodded. "Because I get to see who my real friends are if they think I'm just an average teenager with a regular, third-class life. Ruff, Tuff, Minden, Snot, Fishlegs, Heather…All of them didn't know I had all this when we met, and they still wanted to be friends. Once I revealed what I had; the relationships didn't change. Which means I know that if I ended up broke tomorrow morning; they'd still have my back and want to be around me. "You all, on the other hand; you'd throw a _friend_ in need to the side in a heartbeat to save your images of being popular and not wanting to be seen with someone who isn't like you. This can be proven by the fact you decided to call me one of you when you learned I have all I do. You didn't like me before knowing, so I know that you aren't real friends," Hiccup took another drink. None of them had anything to say.

"Yeah, well…Who needs you," Thuggory huffed.

"Not about need. It's want. And apparently, you wanted me to join your little crew after learning the truth about me. Sorry. Rich or not; I'm not a spoiled brat like all of you, and I can say that confidently because you got pissed when I wouldn't agree. Friends like you come and go, just like money can do the same. My friendships don't revolve around money. I know my friends won't betray me no matter my position in life; I can turn my back and not worry that one of them will stab me in it. At the end of the day; I know who my real friends are…" Hiccup smirked a little. "Do you?" the seven tensed a bit, glancing at one another, then back at Hiccup. "And that's game, boys, and girls. Better luck next time," he winked.

"That was brilliantly played, Hiccup," Minden laughed.

"You've always had our backs, and we'll have yours," Snotlout put a hand on his shoulder.

"How long until dinner?" Tuffnut wondered.

"4:15 now, dinner at 6 pm, plus the cook-time…About an hour and a half," Hiccup replied.

"So can we do what we always do Friday nights?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup set his water bottle down then opened a panel where he scanned his hand. Seconds after the lights went from red to green; the four pictures on the wall moved out, then flipped around revealing fifty-inch flat screen televisions that pushed back into the wall. Hiccup flipped a light switch as all of then turned on. Hiccup walked to the left side of each TV, pushing the wall a little bit as a rectangular section would pop out. Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Snotlout helped pull each out, which appeared to be on tracks. On the pieces were shelves of controllers, chargers, and games.

"Dude! What the fuck?!" Thuggory, Eret, and Gruffnut said in shock. Hiccup pushed the spaces under each TV, pulling the trays out to reveal game systems. The three male's mouths dropped open, motioning with their hands.

"What?" Hiccup asked. "Every gamer should have an extensive collection," he chuckled.

"How many systems do you have?" Gruffnut asked.

"Each TV is hooked up to something different. Sony with PlayStation. Microsoft with X-Box. Nintendo, which speaks for itself. Even one TV for all the older things," Hiccup informed. "I like variety. Alright boys and girls, what are we playing?" Hiccup wondered.

"Shouldn't we be doing our assignment for history?" Nadia informed.

"My dad has the file on the history of this place in his office. I'm sure it won't be too difficult," Hiccup said.

"Well, see there's a problem…Mr. Fishers thinks that we're all…going to do the same place and expects one report from all fourteen of us, each person doing a different part…" Camicazi mentioned. Hiccup froze, facing her quickly.

"And why would he think such a thing?" Hiccup asked.

"Cami asked about doing a group project during the last block before Dragon Training. Mr. Fishers thought it was weird for her to ask when someone ten minutes before had done the same thing so…" I started.

"So she said we all picked the same place and that's why you followed me because you heard we were coming here for research…" Hiccup sighed, looking up and not seeming all that surprised. "God damn it…"

"No big deal, we just all work together," Ragna remarked.

"Yeah, except that you stole our idea and because Cami lied; Mr. Fishers expects a piece of work from all of us that we didn't agree to!" Heather muttered.

"Ugh," Hiccup groaned. "We'll work on it later after I figure out how the heck this is gonna go. Fourteen people working on one research paper. How ridiculous," he mumbled. "And all because you couldn't find your own idea, then lied to the teacher about your intentions and got us all locked down for a group project. And I wouldn't say anything else on this matter as I have all the history of Haddock Manor, and without me; you get nothing," he added when he saw them about to argue. "Now, you can either grab a controller and start playing, or you can sit down, watch, and keep your mouths closed until dinner," he remarked.

After that, Hiccup joined in the Nintendo Switch game of Smash Brothers as the fourth player. Hiccup chose his character and started playing against the others. Not sure what they should do, the others just found a spot and sat down to watch Hiccup spend time with his friends. There wasn't much of a smile of his face anymore, and I could tell that we probably ticked him off with all the information. I guess we were being a little unfair; Hiccup chose a place that has a great deal of history behind it because it's part of his family, and we barged in like jerks. I guess I can't blame Hiccup for being upset, and we thought for once that it was best not to aggravate him further; he was being kind enough to let us in his home, stay for dinner, and get the research we needed. Hiccup didn't have to do any of that, but he chose too regardless of how we treat him and his friends in school. Strangely; Hiccup's words were racing through my mind; the ones about if the people I have are really my friends, or would we turn on one another the minute something changed. Was our friendship only because of money? No. It wasn't; we'd always be friends. Nothing would ever change that.

 **. . .**

 ** _(6 pm)  
{Formal Dining Room}_**

So I'm shockingly surprised that Hiccup can cook. At 5:45 pm; we all returned upstairs and sat in the kitchen as Hiccup and Hagen were cooking the family dinner together, though, most of it was Hiccup and Hagen getting him what he asked for. I watched kitchen staff set up the table for eighteen people while Hiccup cooked everything with Hagen, then plated it up when finished as the staff served it.

"Oh, ya outdid yerself, laddie," Gobber clapped.

"My veteran Godfather deserves the finest of my culinary abilities," Hiccup smiled.

"Awe, yer gonna make me cry," Gobber sniffled. "Am I allowed to ask for one more thing?"

"Name it," Hiccup nodded.

"Sing one of your songs for me? In honor of my retirement?" Gobber inquired.

"Gonna have to be specific, Uncle Gobber. And they aren't mine; I just sing my own cover of it," Hiccup reminded. "You think about what you want to hear, and we'll do it after dinner," he said.

"Done deal," Gobber nodded. "Let's chow," he added with a smile. Everyone began eating, though, seven of them were hesitant to Hiccup's cooking. Finally, he sighed.

"For Thor's sake…Just eat it," Hiccup muttered.

"How do we know you aren't trying to poison us!?" Gruffnut accused. Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Hiccup's friends looked at one another, confused. However, then Snotlout, Minden, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut started laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Eret demanded.

"That you think I'd poison you. Seriously? First off, if I wanted you dead and was that kind of messed up in the head to actually do it; I would do something along the lines of making it look like a wild animal attack where they would devour your bodies and leave no trace back to me. Just seven lost teenagers in the woods, how tragic…" Hiccup acted sad about it. "Secondly…What could I possibly gain from having you gone? Sure, maybe less of a headache, but otherwise…Sorry to burst your bubbles, but, uh…Nothing you do really bothers me," Hiccup stated. You might all be heartless, inconsiderate, snobby, stuck-up, assholes-,"

"HICCUP HADDOCK!" Stoick warned.

"Sorry, Dad. We'll go with jerks instead, but that doesn't mean I wish ill-will. So relax. You live your lives the way you do, and that's fine. However, those are your decisions, and I will respect it. On the killing you thing; it's pointless because I don't get anything out of that because there is nothing you have that I don't already possess. Now, shut up and eat. Food in this house does not go to waste," Hiccup informed while closing his eyes and taking a bite of his meal.

I really could not believe he just said that to us! And here I was beginning to believe he was a decent guy, but he outright called us all those names in front of his parents, uncle, friends. Ugh! He was infuriating sometimes, and by the Gods…I hated how sarcastic he was and never bothered by anything. I suppose the only thing I can give him points on is that's he's a good dragon trainer, and he's wise. I took a bite of the food, and it was delicious! I did not know Hiccup could cook this good! Seriously, what could this guy not do? One thing was for sure; of all the wealthy people I know; Hiccup is definitely different than the rest.


	6. Have A What?

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Have A What?

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 1, 2021-7 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

After a delicious meal cooked by Hiccup Haddock himself; Valka and Stoick excused themselves from the group to handle something that had come up, but they promised to return within an hour. Gobber remained behind since Hiccup promised to sing for him as a retire from the military gift. The popular crowd seemed a little surprised at the request and somehow became quite curious too. It seemed there was more to Hiccup than meets the eyes in their opinion. For example, the fact that Berkian Estate is actually a piece of land, mansion included that belonged to the Haddock family. Also, Hiccup was a wealthy individual, though; he played it off for quite some time that he was an average, third-class citizen of Berk with barely anything at all. Some of the other rich teens were jealous, and a few were just shocked still. How could Hiccup have all this, but act like he didn't? Hiccup was always calm, accepting, but did not tolerate disrespect. Hiccup was a smart seventeen-year-old and used his knowledge to defeat others, or so it seemed from earlier when Hiccup was able to silence Eret with such ease by only speaking. For Astrid; she strangely felt like there was still a lot more to Hiccup that they had yet to see. Hiccup appear to be a young man with a lot of secrets, or so Astrid assumed with all she had seen so far. And now, Astrid wanted to know what all of them were.

Hiccup helped to clear away the dishes, then bring them to the kitchen to be washed. Hiccup rinsed the plates and utensils, setting them in the dishwasher, then the other few kitchen staff members took care of putting away the leftovers, and cleaning the bigger pans or pots used.

"We have this, Hiccup," one of the staff told him with a smile.

"Thanks, guys," Hiccup returned to the dining room while drying his hands with a rag, then tossing it to the hamper in the staff passage between the kitchen and dining room. "Alright. What next?"

"I want my song, laddie," Gobber reminded.

"Did you pick one?" Hiccup inquired.

"Well, since yer parents are gone for a bit…One of your military ones," Gobber grinned.

"Oh, you would," Hiccup rolled eyes.

"Duh," Gobber laughed.

"Why did you only pick a military one if his parents weren't here?" Ragna wondered.

"Because his folks don't like the idea of Hiccup joining after High School," Heather informed.

"You're joining the military?" Thuggory asked, a bit surprised.

"After graduation. Well, a couple months after at least," Hiccup nodded. "Going into the Barbaric Archipelago Islands Armed Forces," he smiled as Gobber put a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh, didn't see you as the military type," Camicazi mentioned.

"There's a lot you don't know about him," Snotlout remarked.

"Well, regardless of our…ranks or whatever…Mad respect for you joining the military," Gruffnut stated.

"Agreed," Nadia said with Thuggory, Camicazi, and Ragna nodding.

"What branch?" Eret wondered.

"Army, Infantry Soldier; just like my uncle," Hiccup informed.

"And I'm very proud of you for choosing such a thing, lad," Gobber said calmly with a smile.

"Yeah…Just wish my parents would be as supporting," Hiccup muttered.

"They'll come around, kiddo," Gobber stated.

"No, they won't, Uncle Gobber," Hiccup sighed. Astrid noticed it, so maybe Hiccup didn't have such a perfect life. "I made this decision when I was fifteen-years-old; they've had the past two years to accept it and support me. And still, they don't. Mom gets all emotional. Dad and I just start arguing. I've just stopped mentioning it around them. I'm sure they know I'm gonna do it, but if it stops the fighting for me not to bring it up, then whatever,"

"I understand," Gobber nodded. "Well, you got my support,"

"Ours too," Ruffnut added as the friends nodded in agreement.

"Much appreciated," Hiccup smiled some. "Alright, so song. Let's, uh, move to the Great Room; it will be easier in there," he added. Without any arguments or comments, everyone got up to walk to that first room they got to see upon arriving at Haddock Manor earlier.

 **. . .**

 **{7:10 pm}**

 **(Grand Room)**

"So, what do I get to hear from my Godson?" Gobber asked.

"You asked for military," Hiccup reminded.

"Ah, but which one?" Gobber chuckled.

"Dealer's choice," Hiccup motioned to him.

"One of yours," Gobber said.

"I told you; I just sing alo-," Hiccup began.

"Don't you feed me that dragon dung, boy. I know you make your own," Gobber wagged his finger at Hiccup. "You said my choice, and that's my pick," Hiccup groaned.

"Fine," Hiccup mumbled out. "Frigga," Hiccup called. There was a beep in response. "Play _We Are Soldiers_ , Karaoke version,"

" **Playing** _ **We Are Soldiers-Music Only**_ **by Hiccup Haddock."** A female voice responded.

"Woah, your house talks to you?" Gruffnut blinked.

"It's the Echo Dot, wired into the entire estate…So I suppose, yes; it does," Hiccup shrugged. "She can control the lights, music, and security system. And the tunes are linked to my phone. Also, Frigga only answers to me, mom, dad, and Gobber," he music began with guitars and drums as everyone was finding a seat to listen.

" _It's time to strap our boots on, this is the perfect day to die; wipe the blood out of our eyes. In this life, there's no surrender, and there's nothing left for us to do. Find the strength to see this through,"_ there was a pause. _"We are the ones who will never be broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death. We are soldiers. We are soldiers. Woah. Whoa…Whoa…Whoa. We are soldiers!"_

Without warning, the music picked up to something a little more wild and fast. "Oh, this is gonna be good," Tuffnut laughed a but, high-fiving Snotlout and Fishlegs as the group of friends smiled

" _I stand here right beside you. Tonight we're fighting for our lives. Let me hear your battle cry! Your battle cry!"_ Hiccup called out." _We are the ones who will never be broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death. We are soldiers. We are soldiers. We are the ones who will not go unspoken. No, we are not sleep; we are not sheep. We are soldiers. We are soldiers. Yeah!"_ the music continued playing as Hiccup was catching his breath.

"Atta boy, laddie. You know how the army works! Sing it loud, sing it proud!" Gobber cheered, throwing his fist in the air.

The music slowed a little now. " _We stand shoulder to shoulder. We stand shoulder to shoulder. We stand shoulder to shoulder. You can't erase us; you'll just have to face us,"_ Hiccup went on while the tune continued, becoming a little more intense. _"We stand shoulder to shoulder! We stand shoulder to shoulder! We stand shoulder to shoulder! You can't erase us; you'll just have to face us!"_ he yelled out this time.

Okay, Astrid had to admit it; this was pretty awesome. _"We are the ones who will never broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death. We are soldiers. We are soldiers. We are the ones who will not go unspoken. No, we will not sleep; we are not sheep. We are soldiers. We are soldiers! Yeah! Woah! Woooah! Woooaahhh! Woah. We are soldiers. Woah! Wooah! Woooaahhh! Woah! We are soldiers!"_ the music began to fade out, leaving very little. _"Woah. Wooah! Woooaahh! Woah. We are soldiers."_ He finished.

Hiccup's friends and Godfather began clapping, then the popular group as well. "Very nicely done, Hiccup," Fishlegs said.

"Impressive," Minden smiles.

"Did not take you for a songwriter or artist," Astrid informed.

"Eh, side hobby of mine next to drawing and dragon riding," Hiccup shrugged casually. Another song began to play as Hiccup looked up. "Frigga. Stop music." The music ceased as he smiled.

"Awe, but that was one of my favorites, Hiccup," came a new voice that was female. Heads turned to see a girl standing five foot seven inches with short angled, black hair; meaning it was shorter in back, but more extended as it neared the front. The female had deep sea-blue eyes as she stood in two-inch, ankle-high boots, a short, pink, tier-layered skirt that flowed the length of her thighs, then a long-sleeve white, button-down blouse. Next to her was a ten-year-old with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. On the girl's arm, there was an infant carrier holding a slightly awake baby girl.

Before anyone of the popular's could ask who she was; Hiccup walked over with a smile towards her. "Hello, Milady," Hiccup held her hand, offering a slight bow, then kissed her hand. The female giggled a little, blushing. Hiccup stood straight, then leaned in to kiss her lips softly.

"Hi, Hiccup!" the boy greeted.

"Hey, Birgir. What's good?" Hiccup replied.

"Living," Birgir chuckled.

"Not giving your big sister a hard time, are you?" Hiccup asked.

"Nope!" Birgir grinned.

"You're such a liar! He's been giving me nothing but since he got off the bus," the girl sighed.

"Got stuck babysitting again, didn't ya, babe?" Hiccup laughed a bit. Babe? This girl was Hiccup's girlfriend?!

"Unfortunately. So, what's going on here? Having a party without me?" the girl smiled as Hiccup took the carrier from her, and set it on the couch.

"Nah. Just a couple friends over for a project in History about historic place research paper. My house became the vote," Hiccup muttered. "Also, you know who the friends are. The other seven over there are the spoiled, popular, pains in my ass," he added.

"Why are they here then?" the girl questioned, blinking.

"Because they decided to copy my friends and I in the idea to use my house as a historic point. And one of them opened their big mouth to the teacher, who now expects a group report done and handed in Monday morning from all fourteen of us. And to top it off; they followed me home…" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"So you're his…Girlfriend?" Eret asked.

"Two years in August this year," the girl said proudly. Hiccup stood up, his hand around the female's waist.

"This is Olivia Holgerson, and she is my girlfriend of two years and two months. This is her little brother, Birgir," Hiccup motioned to the ten-year-old. Soon, there was crying from the carrier as Hiccup smiled. He unhooked the straps and lifted the baby girl into his arm, fixing her pacifier, then turning a bit, so they could see better. "And this is mine and Olivia's daughter, Runa Haddock," Hiccup introduced. At that moment, all their mouths dropped open, eyes widening.

"YOU HAVE A _WHAT_?" they shouted.


	7. Unbelievable

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Unbelievable

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 1, 2021-7:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

I stood positively floored at the information I just learned. Sure, realizing Hiccup lived one of the most historic places on Berk and that he was an extremely wealthy guy was surprising. And then seeing that Hiccup could cook, and sing was pretty cool too. However, I was not prepared to learn that Hiccup had a girlfriend of two years, nor that he had a baby; a daughter to be precise. Hiccup's girlfriend, Olivia, was downright gorgeous. And his little girl was even cuter. My friends and boyfriend were just as stunned as me at the news; we never expected something like this, much like the rest of this evening since following Hiccup here. Everything since arriving has been one more shocking piece of information about Hiccup after another. But this took the cake. Unfortunately, I'm also confused about a couple things. I understand not flaunting that you have money or a mansion-style home. I get not telling anyone that you can cook or sing; that's personal choice to reveal to others. Something that doesn't make sense is Hiccup has been with this girl for two years, and we've never seen her at school.

Snapping out of my state, I put my hands on my hips. "So you've been with this girl for two years?" I asked.

"Yes, and again; her name is Olivia, Astrid," Hiccup reminded.

"Why have we never seen her before?" I remarked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm home-schooled," Olivia said. "My brother and I both are,"

"Then how did you and Hiccup meet?" Nadia wondered.

"Uh, summer vacation in June 2019," Olivia stated.

"Our families were both on vacation at the Dragon's Edge Campground, our sites across the way from one another. We were fifteen and ended up at a lot of the same places around the grounds. Pool, beach, craft shop, camp store; so we started talking and hanging out more. Eventually, learning that we're both from Berk," Hiccup smiled.

"Yep, we exchanged numbers, continued to see one another. Started like each other, and began dating two months later in August," Olivia informed proudly. "Never been happier," she added, leaning her head on Hiccup's shoulder with her arms around his midsection. Hiccup held Runa in his left arm, then wrapped his right around Olivia. Hiccup smiled, leaning down to kiss his girlfriend's forehead.

"Come on, sis! You promised to take me for ice cream. Mom and dad want us home by 8 pm!" Birger complained. Olivia groaned in defeat. Hiccup chuckled a little as he turned to face Olivia's little brother.

"If you promise to stop giving your sister a hard time; I'll have Hagen get you a to-go ice cream sundae," Hiccup offered. Birger's eyes widened, nodding his head up and down quickly as Hiccup laughed a little. "Hagen!" the man from the kitchen earlier hurried in.

"Yes, Master Hiccup?" Hagen smiled.

"Will you take Birger here to the kitchen to prepare a on-the-go ice cream, please?" Hiccup asked.

"Certainly!" Hagen nodded, leading Birger away.

"Thank you," Olivia breathed out.

"It's what I do, Milady," Hiccup reminded, kissing her cheek. "How's little lady been all day?"

"Perfect; the schedule we've been trying to get her on seems to be holding. I just fed her three ounces at about 3:30-ish, so she'll be due to eat anytime. I changed her an hour after the feeding, and she's been sleeping since then. The bag is fully stocked with everything you need for the weekend," Olivia said gently.

"Awesome, but you know I keep a full stock here in her nursery, right?" Hiccup laughed a little.

"I can't help it; I like being prepared," Olivia mumbled. Hiccup kissed her again as she blushed a little, but returned it. "You sure you got her all week?"

"Babe, she's my daughter; I think I can handle it. And we've done this before," Hiccup reminded.

"No, I usually bring her Fridays, and we hang out Saturday and Sunday, and you bring her and me to my house after dinner. You've never had Runa all week before," Olivia sighed.

"Milady, I got this. I took the whole week off work so you can go with your parents and brother to that family wedding in the states," Hiccup informed assuringly. "Besides, no doubt my mother will hog Runa the entire time," he added as Olivia nodded.

"True," Olivia agreed. "Well, still…I'll be checking in,"

"I expected nothing less," Hiccup said with a smile. At that moment, Birger returned with a plastic bowl filled with a marvelous looking sundae with hot fudge, sprinkles, cherries, whip cream, and a strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla mix of ice cream. The boy was beaming with delight at his treat, taking slow bites and savoring them. "Well, he should be quiet the entire drive home for you,"

"Thank Odin…" Olivia said relieved. "We better get going. My parents just had to pick a 9 pm flight; I'll probably call tomorrow morning," she enlightened.

"We'll be here," Hiccup said gently.

"I-If there's any problems…" Olivia began.

"Babe, chill. I got it under control, okay? Take Birger, get home, have a safe flight, call me when you can, and enjoy the week off. The baby and I will be good. I have a car seat, diaper bag, full stash of clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, onesies, socks, shoes, and age-appropriate toys. Everything is going to be fine. I promise," Hiccup assured Olivia.

"You're just too amazing sometimes," Olivia hugged him.

"I'm just me," Hiccup smiled. "Now, go on and get out of here. When you get back on Friday, we can spend the entire weekend together with Runa,"

"You mean I can sleep over?" Olivia said, shocked and slightly excited.

"I don't see why not," Hiccup replied.

"I love you," Olivia ran her fingers through his hair, then stroked his cheek.

"I love you too," Hiccup responded. The two shared another passionate kiss between them, which lasted about ten seconds. Olivia leaned down and kissed Runa's forehead, then she grabbed Birger by his sweater and pulled him out of the room, soon exiting the house.

"Hand over my niece," Gobber reached for the baby.

"Can't a father have five minutes with his little girl before everyone starts wanting to hold her?" Hiccup mumbled. "You can have her after she eats," he added. Gobber huffed, sitting down as Hiccup looked at the little girl in his arms, who was awake now and sucking on her pacifier.

"So, you only get her on the weekends?" Ragna asked.

"It's easier because I have school and work," Hiccup said. "My shifts are Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 10:30 pm. I get lil lady Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Except for this week; I get her until next Sunday," he smiled. "After High School, Olivia and Runa will probably be living here full time," Runa began to whimper, then cry. "Must be time to eat," Hiccup got up, moving to the kitchen, and then returning with a burp rag and shaking a bottle back and forth before sitting down in a recliner chair. Hiccup positioned his arms, adjusted the burp rag, then pulled the pacifier and replaced it with the bottle. Using his foot on the floor, he moved the chair to rock slightly while feeding his daughter.

I still couldn't believe all this; Hiccup having a girlfriend and baby. However, I couldn't deny that for a seventeen-year-old father; Hiccup was an excellent dad. Personally; I didn't find anything else more attractive than a man who stepped up to the plate in times of unexpected challenges.

"How did all this happen?" I inquired.

"What?" Hiccup replied, not opening his eyes.

"The baby," Thuggory mentioned.

"Well, I mean; I'm pretty sure we took Sex Ed already, but babies are made when two people who love each other have sexual intercourse during a time a woman ovulates, and he ejaculates inside-," Hiccup started.

"Oh, my Gods!" Camicazi screeched. "We know how babies are made!"

Hiccup started chuckling. "Perhaps be more specific with your question then,"

"How old is she?" Eret tried. "When was she born?"

"Runa is currently three months old; it will be four on the 11th. Runa was born June 11th, Thursday, on the second floor of Berk Isle General Hospital at 2:37 in the morning," Hiccup informed calmly. "Also, she was delivered about four weeks early. Initially, she was due for Friday, July 9th,"

"Explains why you missed that whole week of school," Thuggory stated.

"Correct. Olivia went into labor right around lunch hour, and I grabbed Stormfly and rushed to the hospital. And then because Runa was born at thirty-six weeks, so they kept her there a few extra days to make sure she was putting on weight, feeding properly, and able to breathe on her own. After that; Liv and I got to bring her home," Hiccup said.

"Was she like, conceived the first time you and Olivia did it?" Ragna wondered.

"Did what? Had sex?" Hiccup looked at Ragna, who nodded. "No. Olivia's and mine's first time was on our one year anniversary, in August 2020. She got pregnant two months later in October,"

"And the cause of pregnancy was…What? Failed birth control?" Astrid stated.

"Actually, it was failed birth control and Plan B. Liv, and I knew we had unprotected sex," Hiccup enlightened.

"Were you looking to have a baby?" Camicazi asked. "Why on Earth did you have unprotected sex?"

"Hey, it's not like it was always unprotected. Sometimes, though, when you're so lost in the moment; you just say fuck it because you don't want to stop. Liv is on birth control, and she keeps Plan B as a backup. However, the doctor assumed that maybe the two pills might have canceled one another out leaving Olivia open to get pregnant since sperm can live in the body for up to five days," Hiccup explained. Half-way through the six-ounce bottle, Hiccup pulled it from Runa's mouth, then set her on his shoulder to burp her. After that was taken care of, Hiccup fixed Runa's position to try and give her a little more.

"So, not to be that guy here, but what about the project?" Gruffnut asked.

"After Runa is fed and changed, then being cuddled to no end by her Great Uncle Gobber; I'll get the files from my father's office, and I'll delegate who is working on what for Monday's due date," Hiccup informed calmly.

"Who says you get to-," Eret began.

"Because it's my goddamn house. And if you don't want me telling Mr. Fishers that you copied my friends and I idea for Berkian Estate, then you'll frigging zip it," Hiccup glared. "I have centuries of information on this place. Who has lived here, for how long, pictures, remodels…And without me; you got nothing except picking your own idea, doing all that research over the weekend to get it done for Monday," Eret was quiet, undoubtedly not liking that Hiccup shut him up again for maybe the third time this evening. Another ten minutes passed as Runa didn't seem to take the rest of the bottle, leaving about two and a half ounces remaining. Hiccup burped Runa a second time, and the baby inadvertently ended up moving the rag with all her fidgeting around. The burp came forward, and then she spit up down the front and back of Hiccup's shirt.

"Ew…" Ragna and Camicazi said. Gruffnut and Thuggory stuck their tongues out in disgust. I didn't know what possessed me to do it, but I picked up the fallen rag and handed it to Hiccup as he thanked me with a nod of his head, and then started trying to dry himself off.

"Give me the little lassie, Hiccup; that way you can go change," Gobber offered. Hiccup handed Runa over to Gobber, as he tried to feed her a little more. Hiccup vanished from the room, then returned about ten minutes later, changed into a pair of dark brown sweatpants and a red t-shirt, then brown slippers on his feet. "She took the rest and burped again,"

"Thanks, Gobber," Hiccup smiled.

"Now, go on with yer report. I got Runa," Gobber smiled. Hiccup nodded, motioning for the others to follow him. Hiccup went across the hall and into his father's office, then opened the bottom drawer of the file cabinet, pulling out a massive, thick file from the back before closing the drawer and heading out of the room. After this, we trailed behind Hiccup up to his bedroom where he had Fishlegs make a list of who would be writing the report for each section he handed out. Hiccup made copies of what they would need, and pictures too as he would not be handing out originals. By 8:30 pm, it was settled.

"I will take care of the folder and cover presentation wise. We will all meet Monday morning at 7:00 am in the library so I can put it together. The report you do will have your name on it, and I will make sure we are all represented on the cover. I have History first period with Snotlout, and Gruffnut, so we'll hand it in," Hiccup explained.

"Got it," we all replied, nodding in understanding. Regardless of our statuses at school; it was really cool of Hiccup to help us out like this.

"Oh, and do a good job because if this grade is anything under an eighty…I'll tell Mr. Fishers everything," Hiccup warned my friends and me. We nodded to him. "Good. Now, it's late, and I think we've spent more than enough time together on each other's presences…So, you all can g-Wait. One more thing…You write this as if you don't know that I live here. You can word it that Haddock's in the past have lived here, but you do not mention that it belongs to my bloodline. Understand? We live out here for the privacy, so I'd like to ask that you, please keep it that way. The more you read in those record; the more you will see why my family and I stay out of the limelight so to speak. I'm helping you out by providing information, you can repay me by continuing to let people think this is Berkian Estates, and the owners like to be left alone,"

"We got it," Thuggory said.

"Appreciated. Come; I'll lead you out," Hiccup said, guiding my friends and me to the exit of the home. We loaded up into our vehicles, then prepared to head out. I couldn't help but glance back into the rearview mirror, seeing Hiccup's figure retreating behind the door of Haddock Manor. All the things I've seen and learned since arriving here, and I still find it utterly astounding, incredible, and totally unbelievable.


	8. You Better Hope & Pray

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

You Better Hope & Pray

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Wednesday, October 13, 2021-12:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

"Guys…Don't do it," I warned Eret, Gruffnut, and Thuggory when I overheard them talking about how to get Hiccup removed as our Dragon Class trainer.

"Come on, Astrid. I don't care how good he is…" Thuggory muttered.

"He's only seventeen, and shouldn't be qualified to teach a course," Eret grumbled. "We won't do anything that will get him killed, or seriously injured," he added. I groaned, sighing.

"You better not, and if this goes sour…I'm not involved," I remarked, going back to eating my salad and drinking the water bottle beside it. This had been going on for eight days since we returned to school after learning that Hiccup lived at Berkian Estates because the property belonged to his family, and had for centuries. My friends hated that Hiccup had all he did, especially that they basically got rejected by Hiccup when my group asked him to join us as one of the popular crowd. According to Hiccup; he didn't want fake friends, which all of us took offense to. In Hiccup's eyes; he had real friendships with Snotlout, Fishlegs, Heather, Minden, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut. Also, Hiccup insinuated that my friends would toss one of us aside if we no longer _fit in_ with the group. Of course, we denied this allegation, but unfortunately, there was hesitation when the others said that Hiccup was wrong.

So, Monday the 4th; we all met in the library to put together that history report. Hiccup made an excellent presentation folder for it, then put everything in order according to the timeline bit he gave is to work on. Hiccup turned it in first period, and we got our grade by Thursday, the 7th. Shockingly enough, we ended up with an overall score of eighty-nine. However, my friends were still trying to give Hiccup a hard time. All last week was bullying him more than usual, and just him too, not his friends. Gruffnut, Thuggory, and Eret would take their chances to shove into him, which would make his books fall to the ground, or they'd just make comments during the classes we all had together to try and set Hiccup off. Though, it didn't appear to do all that much because Hiccup had one hell of a lid on his temper if he had one at all. I've never seen the guy get mad about anything. Honestly, I think that's why my friends are trying to do; piss Hiccup off.

Today, the girls seemed to be on board with Thuggory and Eret about getting Hiccup removed as the teacher for Dragon Training. There had been a change there too. We had finished Tidal Class last Friday, and now, Hiccup changed our next classification from doing Strike to Stoker. We began that on Monday of this week, and today should be the Monstrous Nightmare. I overheard the plan too; they wanted to rile up one of the dragons to get aggressive with Hiccup and show Principal Meatsen that Hiccup wasn't qualified to handle the class if he couldn't even get a dragon under control. Somehow; I had a feeling this would go horribly wrong, and I didn't want to be on the receiving end of the consequences when it did. Hiccup might be a sarcastic, know-it-all, but he's a good guy, I mean, come on; Hiccup is wealthy but doesn't let it go to his head. Hiccup has a girlfriend who he's been with for two years and a daughter. Hiccup can sing, teach, game, and work a full-time job on top of attending High School. Also, I didn't mind Hiccup as the trainer; he's very good at it. Personally; it was impressive that Hiccup was our age and knew all this information about dragons.

No. I would not be getting involved in this sabotage.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:25 pm}**_

 _ **(DT Field)**_

Half-way through class, I saw my friends start getting ready to put their plan into action. As expected; we were working with a Monstrous Nightmare, male, that was red, little orange, and black with a white under-belly. According to Hiccup; Nightmares were cocky, and extremely aggressive just like most of the Stoker Class dragons. This is how Hiccup did his course with us; we'd be in one classification, and working on each dragon from it through the week. Sometimes we could do one dragon, or occasionally; it would be two. Hiccup would spend the first half of the hour teaching us stats about the dragon, and the second would be a little more hands-on. Stoker Class had eleven dragons, technically it was twelve but according to Hiccup; there would be one dragons we couldn't see other than assumed drawings. Red Death is a Stoker Class, and it's a massive beast that lives inside the corona of a volcano. Apparently, it can create some homing signal to control lesser dragons under it.

So far, we've done five out of the eleven, and when we finished Nightmare; it would be six. Hiccup hoped we'd be done with Stoker at the earliest of next week, then we'd be moving on to Boulder. After that was Sharp, and finally, Strike. Hiccup needed us done with these classifications by the end of December, because as soon as we came back from Snoggletog break; it would be Midterms, and all of this was going to be on it. Midterm Week would be January 3rd to January 7th. Each day would hold about two exams per. Except Dragon Training; that was one day, unknown which yet, where we would be with Hiccup all day to get through the midterm as it involved a written and physical test. As I said, Hiccup is a good teacher, and I didn't think changing trainers when we're this close to finishing is a good idea. I cast my friends one more glance, almost pleading them not to do it, but they only grinned. I knew I could stop this if I warned Hiccup, but what would that do to my relationships with Camicazi, Ragna, Nadia, Gruffnut, who isn't in this course, Thuggory, and my boyfriend, Eret? It would ruin everything, so I just have to hope that this didn't come back to haunt me.

"Now, you are each going to get a chance to come over here and earn this guy's trust," Hiccup instructed. I bit my bottom lip as we all got up to move from our seats and get to see the Nightmare up close.

"I'll go first, Hiccup," Ragna offered.

"Very well then," Hiccup nodded. Ragna worked on gaining the Monstrous Nightmare's trust as Eret got ready to strike. However, Dagur was lurking around the group, watching us closely and Eret knew he couldn't do anything with Dagur so close. Ragna did fine, stepping back after the dragon was calm with her. Next up was Fishlegs, then Heather. Camicazi and Snotlout were after those two. Eret got his chance, then Minden, Nadia, and Thuggory. Finally, it was my turn just as the clock was going on 2:45 pm. "Come on, Astrid," he invited. I made my way towards the dragon, stepping slow with my hands up to show I didn't have anything I could hurt him with.

"I can't get a clear shot with Dagur around," Eret groaned.

"We'll take care of him," Nadia stated as she stepped closer to Heather, fake-tripping to make Heather fall.

"Ow! What's your problem?!" Heather scolded. Dagur went to help her as Eret pulled back his slingshot and got the Nightmare in the head with a rock, small, but I knew what they were going for, then quickly hid his weapon. The Nightmare growled and snarled, flaming up and staring right at me.

"Idiot!" Thuggory smacked Eret. "Astrid's right there!"

"Shit," Eret gulped. I stood frozen in fear almost as I saw the Nightmare prepare to fire at me. Without warning, I felt myself get shoved out of the way and hit the ground. I heard Hiccup yell in pain as I quickly looked to see Hiccup over me.

 _Did he save me?_ I wondered. I saw Hiccup breathing heavy as if he were trying to work through the pain. Then I remembered the Nightmare had been about to shoot his fire out. My eyes widened. _Was Hiccup burned?_

"Dagur! Get these guys back!" Hiccup called, getting up from the ground. I quickly scrambled back as Hiccup tried to calm the dragon down. I saw the back of his uniform. Scorched, and slightly burned through leaving slight marks on his back. My friends really fucked up this time; it was going too far to do this, and I should have stopped it. "Alright, easy now big guy…" Hiccup attempted. The Nightmare snarled at him, trying to snap his jaws over Hiccup's hand. Thankfully, Hiccup pulled it back in time. It didn't appear that Hiccup was fairing so well in his usual methods. I watching Hiccup get tail-whipped by the Nightmare into the wall of the stables. Hiccup got the wind knocked out of him and seemed out of it slightly. Hiccup shook his head, forcing himself to try and get up.

"Hiccup! You alright, man?" Dagur asked quickly.

"Y-Yeah…M'fine…" Hiccup managed with a hand on his head, then rising to his feet. I glared at my friends; they promised Hiccup wouldn't get severely hurt, and it didn't appear this Nightmare was backing off or calming down. Hiccup faced the dragon, who tried to repeat the same move by whipping his tail to knock Hiccup back, but Hiccup jumped over it. The Nightmare slammed his head into Hiccup's front, causing the back to hit the stables hard again. I saw Hiccup wince in pain, cringing at how it felt. Hiccup's hands moved to the dragon's horns as he tried to push them back so he could get himself out. Three more times the Nightmare slammed Hiccup into the wall; it began to splinter as Hiccup hissed at the pain and the last one was hard enough for Hiccup's body to seemingly go limp.

"Oh, my Gods! Hiccup!" Heather nearly cried. It was this moment that my friends realized what their so-called _simple_ idea had done. Enraged a Monstrous Nightmare into such a state that Hiccup couldn't handle, and now, he was hurt and appeared unconscious. However, what we didn't expect was to hear grunting and heavy breaths being taken. Our eyes snapped to the stable where Hiccup was using brute strength to push the Nightmare's head back and away from him. While doing this, Hiccup got his feet flat on the wall; using this to drive the head back more until he was holding the horns and glaring down at the Nightmare. Hiccup bent his knees, then shoved off the wall, pulling the Nightmare's horns to the ground.

Instantly, the Nightmare's fire-encased body powered down and the dragon laid there entirely calm once more with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Hiccup panted hard as he released the horns and struggled to hold his balance. Hiccup's hands were burned, he was cut, and looked to be in a lot of pain. Hiccup's arm wrapped around his midsection. I could tell he was hurt. Hiccup's knees buckled slightly as Dagur ran over and caught Hiccup before he hit the ground unconscious.

"Hiccup?..." Dagur asked, then shook Hiccup a little. "Hiccup?!" No response. Hiccup was out. Snotlout went over to help as Dagur got his cell phone, dialing three digits, then pressing it to his ear. "I need an ambulance at Archian Preparatory's Dragon Training Field for the who was severely injured against a Monstrous Nightmare, and currently unconscious," Dagur said. I felt my heart clench up. "Thrown into a wall, hands burned slightly scratched and cut up, slammed against the wall four times…And yes, he's still breathing," Dagur informed. "I'll stay on the line until paramedics arrive," he added, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear.

 **. . .**

I don't know what happened to Hiccup after 3 pm; the last thing I was able to see when the bell rang was an ambulance reaching the field and three paramedics, plus Thuggory's dad rushing over to Hiccup, who was still unconscious. My friends and I entered the parking lot, worried. I hoped I'd find out more tomorrow, but for now, this day was over, and all I could do was pray that Hiccup would be alright, and it wasn't anything severe or my friends were going to be in serious trouble if it ever got out that they planned this entire thing.

"Yo, what happened?" Gruffnut asked, coming beside the group.

"We fucked up," Thuggory said.

"Yes, you did. And I told you not to go through with it. I get you wanted to make him look incompetent, but you went too far. Now, Hiccup is being taken away by ambulance because he's actually hurt, and we don't even know how bad. You better hope and pray Hiccup is okay, and that no one saw what happened or we're all in trouble." I got in my car and drove off to leave the grounds. I watched the ambulance zip by, instantly feeling nervous about the situation.


	9. Lucky

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Lucky

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, October 14, 2021-1:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

All day today; I've wondered if Hiccup is alright. I checked with all my friends if they'd seen Hiccup in their classes because I know I didn't see him in Language Arts, Health, Lunch, or now, Science. Our course was almost over, and I'm sadly assuming that Hiccup is too injured to come to school. Which is actually really bad overall. Hiccup's friends have been casting us dirty looks every time we pass one another, and I felt like that meant they knew Hiccup's condition and it was anything but okay. I was on edge, so were my friends. We talked about it at lunch but were careful with Hiccup's friends sitting so close to us. I heard the ding of the PA system off as we turned our attention to the speaker near the clock on the wall over the door.

" _ **Excuse me, Mr. Farmer. May we have Heather Bazirk, Astrid Hofferson, Nadia Warrier, Gruffnut Thorston, and Fishlegs Ingerman to the main office, please?"**_ the voice asked.

"All four are on their way now," Bucket Farmer, the Science teacher replied. Quietly, we rounded up things into our bags, then left the classroom.

"I wonder what this is all about," Nadia wondered.

"Oh, I could only imagine," Heather stated harshly while walking beside Fishlegs. Yeah, I didn't like this, and I had a strong feeling I knew what this had to do with.

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:48 pm}**_

 _ **(Main Office Conference Room)**_

Upon reaching the office; I confirmed that this had to do with yesterday on the dragon training field. It wasn't just Fishlegs, Heather, Gruffnut, Nadia, and I that were called down. The others were too; Eret, Thuggory, Camicazi, Snotlout, Ragna, Minden, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. The secretary led us to a large conference room, and we understood that what happened was a going to be a big deal. The first clue was Dagur being there, then all of our parents, and finally…The authorities. I felt nervous, but this is why I didn't want to take part in what went down. Now, I was involved somehow.

"Come right in, students," Mogadon invited. We all moved into the room and were able to see Stoick Haddock near the window. Slowly, we took our seats close to our parents. For me, both of my parents were present, but it didn't appear to be the same for everyone. Mogadon closed the door, then stood in front of it. "This is all of Mr. Haddock's Dragon Training students for last period," he informed.

"Thank you, Mr. Meatsen," came the voice of Spitelout Jorgenson; he was Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson's father and the Police Chief. Also, their mother was a lawyer, but it didn't appear she was present. There were two other officers there, one of them was Alvin Ogglebert-Ingerman, Fishleg's father. I didn't know who the third was. Thuggory's mother wasn't here, but that didn't matter when his father was the principal. The rest were either one or the other, or both.

"Now, I'm sure you've all figured out why you've been summoned down here. First priority, though," Alvin looked at Stoick sympathetically. "How is Hiccup doing, Stoick?"

"Currently, at home resting from yesterday's _incident_ ," Stoick emphasized cooly, and vividly not happy about his son getting hurt at school.

"How badly is he wounded, brother?" Spitelout inquired.

"Hiccup sustained numerous injuries from his scuffle with the Monstrous Nightmare. Scratches and slight burns to his back, burning to his hands, little bruising, Slightly tweaked wrist, minor concussion. Hiccup was unconscious for about an hour, maybe a bit over. Everything should heal within a few days to a week," Dagur stated. "I was there when the doctor explained since Stoick and Valka hadn't come yet,"

"I see. Will he be out of school long?" Mogadon inquired.

"He should be back Monday but will come in late. Re-check with his physician on how he's healing at 9:15 am," Stoick informed, arms crossed over his chest. Then his phone rang. "Hi, Val," A pause. "No, we haven't found out what happened. We just finished discussing Hiccup's injuries and when he'll be returning to school," he stopped. "Val, for the love of Odin; we'll figure out what went wrong in training yesterday. Just go check on Hiccup, or take Cloudjumper for a fly," he hung up.

"I take it Mrs. Haddock is not happy," Alvin inquired.

"That's an understatement," Stoick sighed. "Alright, let's get this done because if she doesn't find out what went down; she'll show up,"

"And nobody wants Valka Haddock here in Mama Bear mode," Spitelout remarked. "Now, I know wild dragon attacks are possible…But the dragon from yesterday wasn't wild, and already trained by Hiccup himself. All the dragons you've worked with since September were trained,"

"And once a dragon is trained, they do not attack without command unless provoked to do so," Alvin added. "So what happened yesterday?"

Nobody spoke.

"Well, don't all speak at once," Stoick huffed.

"I don't know who did it, but I can tell you what happened," Heather informed.

"Please, continue," Spitelout motioned.

"We were all working with the Nightmare, and Astrid was up last. She was doing fine, then Nadia _tripped_ and pushed me over. Dagur came to help me, then the Nightmare just wigged out and almost blasted Astrid, but Hiccup pushed her down, and that's when the fire hit his back. Hiccup tried to calm it down, almost got bit, then tail-whipped into the stables," Heather began.

"Hiccup jumped over another tail swipe, then the Nightmare slammed into his front; his back hitting the stables. This happened three more times before Hiccup managed to hold the horns and drag them to the ground. The Nightmare calmed down, then Hiccup passed out," Snotlout finished the story.

"I caught him and phoned an ambulance," Dagur added.

"And not to be that guy…" Tuffnut started.

"But you, Mr. Haddock, know that we're Hiccup's closest friends and would never do anything that would endanger his life like that," Fishlegs stated gently.

"Aye, that I do," Stoick nodded.

"So, they are just off the hook?" Thuggory motioned.

"My son knows better," Spitelout said.

"As does mine," Alvin nodded.

"So do we," Ruffnut said, Tuffnut and Minden agreeing.

"That leaves all of you, who have been overly jealous of Hiccup since the 1st," Heather crossed her arms over her chest.

"Now, let's not go passing blame," Colby Hofferson said.

"It wasn't us; we're Hiccup's best friends," Minden said gently.

"The dragon could have just been having a moment," Eret shrugged.

"That doesn't happen, not with trained dragons," Alvin reminded. "Come on now, none of us want to be here all day trying to figure this out. Whoever did it; just confess,"

Again; nobody said anything.

"It wasn't me; I was in Home Ec. I don't take Dragon Training," Gruffnut stated.

"That is actually correct. Gruffnut wasn't on the field," Mogadon confirmed.

"That still leaves the remaining six," Spitelout responded.

"If I can, Dad…All three of the males have been giving Hiccup a hard time since the beginning of October," Snotlout informed.

"Trouble? Such as?" Spitelout insisted.

"Shoving him out of their way, into lockers or knocking his books out of his hands," Tuffnut stated.

"They all give us trouble every day, but more Hiccup this past week and a half because they don't like the Hiccup won't join their _rich and popular_ crew," Fishlegs interjected.

"None of that matters to me. I want to know who is responsible for my son ending up in the hospital," Stoick glared. His phone rang again, and he grumbled. "Val, we're in the middle of-," Stoick stopped, listening. "Good to know. How is he?" a pause. "That's to be expected. Let him go flying; you know his dragon won't let anything happen to him, and I doubt we can stop him. He gets his temper from me, so let him cool off in the air. I'll inform Spitelout about the recent changes. See you soon,"

"Not much keeps that boy down, does it?" Alvin chuckled.

"No, not really," Stoick muttered. "Anyway, interesting development. Hiccup has a camera set up to watch the courses; he said he ran it by you, Mogadon,"

"Ah, yes! Hiccup said it would be helpful for when the students go to review for the midterms, or seeing their mistakes," Mogadon nodded.

"Apparently, Hiccup has the foot-," Stoick began, then the door opened as Hiccup walked in. "tage…" he finished. "Son, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"They won't come clean on their own, so I figured I'd come and bring this," Hiccup held up a tape, then he slid it down to Spitelout. "I know who did it, and lucky him; I'm feeling generous and won't be pressing charges…But if it happens again…No mercy will be given. See you at home, Dad," Hiccup then exited the room slowly. Mogadon took the tape, loading it into the VCR and fast-forwarding to the end when everything happened. Then, clear as day; they could see when Nadia purposely moved to push into Heather and get Dagur to stop walking around and watching them. Eret lifted the slingshot up, and it couldn't be seen what he fired off, but as the Nightmare got pissed off and riled up; it was evident that it was he who caused the problem.

"Mr. Trapp, as my punishment; you are suspended for a week for your actions," Mogadon stated right away.

"Hey! It wasn't all me! Yeah, I riled the dragon up, but all of these guys were in on it!" Eret said quickly.

"Don't you include me in this, Eret. I told you it was a stupid idea," I scoffed angrily. I wasn't going down for this.

"As far as I'm concerned; you're all guilty. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Eret's right. He might have ticked off the Nightmare, but the others were plotting," Heather said.

"She's correct. Why did you want him to get hurt?" Spitelout asked.

"We didn't…They wanted him removed as the trainer because they don't think it's fair he's their age and knows so much," Gruffnut stated.

"So you admit that you all planned to try and get his position revoked, but Eret did the dirty work?" Alvin inquired.

"I didn't plan this; I told them not to," I defended quickly.

"But you still knew what they were doing, and you could have warned Hiccup, Astrid. For Odin's sake; he saved your life, getting hurt in the process!" Heather screeched. "Your boyfriend endangered you, and Hiccup, as much of a bitch you are to him, saved you!"

"Enough," Mogadon silenced everyone.

"As Hiccup has decided not to press charges…No legal action will be taken. Mr. Meatsen has decided Eret is to be suspended," Spitelout said.

"Thuggory; you are grounded for a week," Mogadon informed.

"Yes, father," Thuggory responded, though; he was pissed about it.

"And the rest of you, for conspiring against Hiccup…Detention until Wednesday of next week," Mogadon remarked. "Astrid, you may have known about the situation, but as you warned them not to, and stayed out of it…I will not punish you,"

"Yes, sir," we nodded to him.

"And I believe a formal apology should be given to Hiccup," Dagur mentioned. "He's one of the best trainers on the island, and he's kind enough to share that knowledge with you; it's not right you're trying to get rid of him just because you don't like that he wouldn't join your group or whatever,"

"Mr. Bazirk is right. And Astrid; you will be joining them. Your mother and I raised you to do the right thing, and if you had spoken up with what you knew, perhaps Mr. Haddock would not have been harmed," Colby said.

"Yes, Daddy," I replied to him. Already, I felt my friends and boyfriend staring at me for getting off with nothing more than having to apologize to Hiccup.

"I'll take care of the dragon training in Hiccup's absence, Mr. Meatsen," Dagur informed.

"Acceptable," Mogadon nodded. "Now, let's dismiss for the remainder of the day. Eret, your suspension starts on Monday, and you may return the following one. You are responsible for doing any work you miss," Eret didn't answer, but he nodded understanding. Not long after, the room cleared out of students, leaving the adults to talk. Dagur was with us because we had Dragon Training for last period. That was awful, and I hoped it never had to happen again. All I can be grateful for in that whole thing is that I'm damn lucky to not be in the same position as the others. I did the right thing, and I'm a little proud of myself for it.


	10. Apologies

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Apologies

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 15, 2021-4 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

My parents demanded I give Hiccup an apology by the end of this week, and as today is Friday; I guess this was the one. Yesterday, Nadia, Gruffnut, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna had to stay after school in Office Detention as their punishment for conspiring to get Hiccup removed as the Dragon Trainer. Eret and I stayed after with Dagur; more like me just hanging around to avoid going home to get a scolding from my parents about the situation involving Hiccup. Eret was staying to try and get all the work he would miss during his week-long suspension starting on Monday. Thankfully, Dagur and the other teachers were happy to give Dagur the information he would need to at least study the parts he'd not be there for, and assign the work associated with it. Today was more of the same; lessons, assignments due for Monday, Office Detention for five of my friends. Eret and I hung around, and ended up in my car, down the street and parked behind an abandoned building to have sex. It was hard because there wasn't much room for us to move around, so it was me riding Eret with the seat reclined back a bit. Eret kept at least one condom in his wallet and two in his backpack; just for these quick little sessions.

"My dad says I have to apologize to Hiccup today," I grumbled while relaxing in my seat after fixing my skirt and underwear.

"Yeah, my mom said the same," Eret muttered.

"We might as well go and get it over with," I told him.

"I guess," Eret huffed.

"Why are you so huffy. Normally us having sex calms you down," I asked.

"Yeah, well… _Normally_ , I'm not suspended for a week, and our friends are all serving detention while you got away clean," Eret glanced the other way.

"Come on; it's not my fault…" I tried.

"Oh, so it's mine?" Eret asked.

"Well, I mean…Yeah, kind'a, babe," I replied truthfully. "You're the one who sling-shot the dragon, while I was in front of it. I told you all at lunch not to go through with it, and you said Hiccup wouldn't get hurt,"

"We said he wouldn't get severely hurt," Eret corrected.

"But he did, Eret. Hiccup fought off a five-thousand-pound Monstrous Nightmare and got very badly hurt because of it. He passed out, baby, and had to go to the hospital; he's missed two days of school to recover…And you're lucky that he didn't press charges," I explained.

"Yeah, I guess," Eret sighed.

"Look, let's get back to the school and round up the others. We can all go together; say our apology to Hiccup, and be done with it. So what if he has everything he does; he's still a loser for hanging out with those other idiots," I comforted with my hand on his shoulder. "Why bother being rich if you're not gonna live like you are; it's his loss not to join us,"

"Got that right," Eret nodded, grinning a little, then kissing me as I returned it. "Yeah, you're right, babe. Let's grab the others and deal with Haddock," he added. I smiled then started up the car as we returned to the school, getting into the parking lot just as the others were coming out. "Hey, we're headed to apologize to Hiccup. You coming?"

"Yeah, we all got a reminder from our parents about it," Camicazi muttered. I had Eret with me in the Porsche. Thuggory had Camicazi, Ragna, Gruffnut, and Nadia. Next, we were off to Raven Point Hills.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

"Ugh, the drive up here sucks…" Thuggory mentioned as we reached the gates of Haddock Manor. Now, the problem was figuring out how to get in. "Any ideas, Astrid?" he called up to my car. I pulled up to the gate more, seeing a camera and speaker system, then a white button. I reached out and pressed it, waiting a moment.

" _ **Name and business?"**_

"Uh. Astrid Hofferson and friends, here to see Hiccup Haddock?" I tried, hoping it worked. There was silence, then the gate opened. I drove in, and Thuggory pulled up behind as we took the spots we were the first time about two weeks ago. I made sure the top was up on my car, then we all moved to the door as I prepared to knock on it when the object opened. I stepped back quickly seeing Hiccup's friends.

"What are you doing here?" Snotlout asked.

"We came to apologize…" Camicazi said.

"Yeah, well…Hiccup's a little busy at the moment, so maybe come back later," Heather informed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're not making this drive again," Ragna muttered.

"We'll wait for him to be not busy," I added.

The group rolled their eyes a little. "Hiccup's with his girlfriend; he's gonna be occupied for a while,"

"Oh, I get it now…He's getting laid, right?" Gruffnut chuckled.

"Yep," Tuffnut nodded.

"Tuff!" Adelaide smacked his arm. Snotlout got his phone and dialed Hiccup's number. After four rings, it picked up.

" _Weren't you and the others leaving?"_ Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, well…Unexpected visitors showed, cuz," Snotlout said.

" _Define unexpected visitors, Snot?"_ Hiccup inquired. In the background; they heard Olivia giggle.

"The bitch and asshole crew," Snotlout informed.

" _Figures. Tell them to…"_ there was a pause as his voice seemed to get farther away.

" _A-Ah! Hiccup!"_ Olivia moaned out louder than she meant to.

" _If you don't be quiet, you're gonna wake the baby up,"_ Hiccup reminded her. _"Tell them to come back later, like…Maybe an hour and a half? Possibly two?"_ Hiccup stated.

"Yeah, we tried that. They don't want to drive up again," Ruffnut mentioned.

" _Fine. Have them sit in the Grand Room and watch TV or something if they don't want to come back,"_ Hiccup sighed.

" _Hiccup, for the love of Odin, get off the phone!"_ Olivia demanded.

" _Patience, Love,"_ the distinct sound of him kissing her was evident. _"I'll deal with them after. Oh, and have someone keep an eye because I don't trust the entire lot of them,"_

"Got it. Have fun with Olivia," Snotlout laughed a little.

" _Bet your ass I will. Thanks, Snotlout,"_ the call ended shortly afterward.

"Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow," Thuggory stated.

"Yeah, Hiccup doesn't care if people know he's having sex or not. His parents are out until later tonight, and he's got the baby this weekend. Hiccup takes advantage of the quiet time he gets with Liv," Fishlegs shrugged.

"Dude, can he go an hour and a half?" Gruffnut wondered.

"Pfft, Hiccup and Liv could go all night if they wanted," Snotlout remarked. "Come with me," Snotlout said, leading them to the Grand Room. "Henrik!" Snotlout called. Three seconds later, a man rushed in, bowing. "Hiccup's orders; keep an eye on these seven until he returns,"

"Certainly, Mister. Snotlout," the man, Henrik, nodded to him. Snotlout and the others left soon after. The seven sat down around the room, Henrik turned on the TV; flipping it to a sports station about dragon racing, then standing by one of the doors where he could see them all.

"Well, this outta be fun," Eret muttered.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:15 pm}  
(Great Room)**_

It was quiet among the friends; they already let their parents know they were at the Haddock's place to apologize to Hiccup, and now just talking things out as an excuse as to why they were still out. Henrik remained in his spot, and then Hiccup walked in wearing a green long-sleeve shirt and a pair of brown sweatpants. No socks or slippers.

"Master Hiccup," Henrik bowed to him.

"Hey, I'm not my parents; you don't have to bow to me," Hiccup reminded.

"Out of respect, sir," Henrik replied.

"Seriously, Henrik; it's cool. When they aren't around; you don't have to do it. Thank you for watching them; I have it from here. Resume normal duties," Hiccup stated.

"Aye, sir," Henrik nodded, then left the room. Hiccup faced the seven now. Just as he was about to ask what they wanted, he heard a beep.

" **Hiccup?"** Olivia's voice sounded from a speaker on the wall.

"What's up, beautiful?" Hiccup replied.

" **Can't walk…Help me,"** Olivia muttered.

"I told you that you wouldn't be able to do when we were done, Milady. You know I'm a man of my word, and I don't disappoint," Hiccup chuckled.

" **Shut up, you ass! Everyone in the house can hear you!"** Olivia screeched.

"It's the Grand Room. And they all could hear you when you were moaning my name about five minutes ago. Come on, babe. Everyone in the house knows when we have sex; they don't care. Be lucky Runa's room is sound-proofed. Leave the bedroom and come down through the elevator; I'll meet you there," Hiccup informed.

" **Kay!"** Olivia said, then another beep as the connection cut. Hiccup left the room, then a minute or two later Hiccup returned while holding Olivia on his back, her head on his shoulder, smiling.

"Sure you don't wanna stay the night?" Hiccup asked.

"I have to babysit Birger, and one of his friends. Maybe tomorrow?" Olivia wondered.

"I'm sure we can work something out," Hiccup chuckled. "You good to walk yet?" he questioned.

"Maybe," Olivia said as Hiccup lowered a little and set her down, and it took Olivia a moment to find her balance.

"Are you not wearing your bra?" Hiccup inquired.

"Couldn't find it when I got dressed," Olivia shrugged.

"I'll find it for you later, then next time we see one another; you can have it back," Hiccup stated. "You should be getting home,"

"Can I hear the new song before I leave?" Olivia pleaded. "Please?! I've been waiting months for this ever since I saw the lyrics,"

"Which one?" Hiccup asked.

"The one you wrote for me or started to when we met, then got extremely sidetracked," Olivia giggled.

"Hey, I'm a busy guy," Hiccup replied. "I'm not singing it right now because of the unwanted audience," he motioned to my friends and me. "And it's not entirely done. I promise to have it finished by November, okay?"

"I'm holding you to that. If you don't, no sex for three weeks," Olivia warned.

"Hah! Because you can last that long without all this," Hiccup motioned to himself as Olivia blushed.

"Okay, fine…I can't. It's not my fault you're a freaking God in bed," Olivia mumbled. I blinked, so did Ragna, Camicazi, and Nadia. Hiccup wasn't that good at sex, was he?

"Hard to believe I was a virgin before you, isn't it?" Hiccup chuckled.

"You sure you're not older than seventeen? Seriously; it's like you have years of experience," Olivia said.

"Pretty sure I'm seventeen…At least until February," Hiccup added.

"Technically younger. Your birthday only comes every four years…That means I'm dating a four-year-old," Olivia replied.

"Also means you're sleeping with a child and makes you a pedophile," Hiccup grinned. "Maybe we don't go by my birthday for my age, Love," he laughed. "Year-wise, as my parents do it at least; I'm considered a year old on March 1st," Hiccup informed.

"Fair enough," Olivia agreed. "I should get going. It seems like you have business to handle,"

"No, this is just a minor annoyance," Hiccup waved us off. "Call you later?"

"As soon as my brother and his friend are in bed," Olivia nodded. "Skype or Facetime?"

"Surprise me," Hiccup smiled.

"Will do," Olivia stated. "Try to keep Runa up? So I can see her and say goodnight," she asked.

"I'll do my best, Love," Hiccup replied gently. The two shared another kiss, which turned into a little making out with Olivia's arms on Hiccup's shoulders, his hands on her hips and their bodies pressed against one another as Hiccup backed her against the arm of the couch, pushing her in a reclined position. Olivia giggled some as the kissing continued.

"My parents are gonna kill me if I don't get home by 6:30," Olivia reminded between the kisses. Hiccup got his hands under her legs, lifting her with surprising ease and Olivia locked her legs around his waist. While taking her to the side door and whistling out. Without warning, a green Changewing darted out and stood by the window as Hiccup placed Olivia on it's back.

"Get her home safely, Mirage," Hiccup informed, placing a hand on the dragon's snout. Mirage, the Changewing, licked his cheek. Olivia and Hiccup shared another kiss. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Olivia responded, then Mirage took off into the night sky. Hiccup closed the door, locking it. Hiccup turned off the TV, facing the seven populars who were still seated in the Grand Room. Hiccup's demeanor changed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Now, why are you here and what do you want?" Hiccup asked coldly. It was different to see Hiccup like this, but I understood why he was upset. It was best if we just got this out of the way, and went on with our lives. It was time to give our apologies for what happened on Wednesday.


	11. Stuck Here

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Stuck Here

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 15, 2021-6:25 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

Finally, my friends and me had the chance to apologize to Hiccup for Wednesday. Though, I really still couldn't believe everything I'd seen since arriving here at 4:30 pm. Okay, reaching Haddock Manor; we found out Hiccup's friends were leaving because Hiccup and Olivia were having sex. Now, while that wasn't unheard of for a couple who have been together for two years and share a child to do; the shocking part was that one; Hiccup answered the phone in the middle of said deed, and two; Hiccup and Olivia went at it for two hours! Hell, Eret and I don't make it past forty-five minutes, and that's doing foreplay and intercourse. At first, we thought it was an exaggeration that Hiccup said Olivia wouldn't be walking by the time they were done. However, that too proved to be entirely accurate from Olivia telling Hiccup she couldn't walk after he'd come downstairs. What surprised me, Ragna, Camicazi, and Nadia the most was Olivia stating to Hiccup that he was a God in bed. We had no proof of such, but it was definitely something to be curious about. Up until two weeks ago; we just thought Hiccup was a loser, so as I'd noticed before…Hiccup Haddock appear to be a man of several secrets. And they just keep coming to light. And Hiccup didn't seem to care one bit; the only one he asked us to respect is that his family like their privacy.

Regardless, Olivia was gone now, and Runa was evidently sleeping upstairs. Hiccup was listening for her, though; I could see the baby monitor attached to the waistband of his sweatpants. My friends and I came here to apologize to Hiccup, so we might as well just do it now that we had his attention.

"I'm waiting," Hiccup said after a few minutes of silence.

"We came to say sorry for Wednesday," Thuggory began.

"What happened Wednesday?" Hiccup asked. Was he being serious right now?!

"You know wh-," Camicazi began as I elbowed her arm, shaking my head. I get what Hiccup was doing now.

"For setting the Monstrous Nightmare off, and you getting hurt," Nadia informed.

"Funny. I thought just Eret did it, so you all had a hand in the act," Hiccup stated, unamused.

"Well, Eret's the one who used his slingshot…But we'd all planned it," Gruffnut remarked.

"Pray tell," Hiccup said.

"Huh?" we asked.

"It means tell me how you all planned it, and why," Hiccup explained with a sigh.

"We were jealous," Ragna said.

"Yeah, I figured you would be when you realized that Berkian Estates is the Haddock Family home, and has been since the late 8th Century," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "What did being jealous have to do with pissing off the Nightmare?"

"We got mad that you wouldn't join us, people like you," Camicazi responded.

"You lot are nothing like me. I've explained this before; just because I have all this," Hiccup motioned around. "Doesn't mean we're the same. You're all stuck up, snobby, rude, and heartless believing those who aren't like you are beneath you. You think that everyone has to bow at your feet, offering the utmost respect. That's not me, and it never will be. Your excuse is bullshit; I don't join you, so you try to kill me?"

"No! No…Hiccup, that wasn't the goal; you getting hurt was entirely an accident," I said quickly.

"Then what the fuck were you aiming to do?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"We just wanted you to look like you didn't know about dragons…And get you removed as the Dragon Trainer," Eret muttered.

"And you thought the best way was to rile up one of the most stubborn and aggressive dragons in the world? A dragon that sets itself on fire and weighs in at five-thousand pounds? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get close to a wild one, earn its trust, and then train? I can't even count the number of scars I have from working with Hookfang," Hiccup retorted.

"Chief Jorgenson and Officer Ogglebert-Ingerman did say you trained every dragon we've worked with…" I mentioned out loud.

"Yes, I did. I spent all Summer doing it, on top of working. Most of those dragons came from my mother's sanctuary for them. All of them were freed from Dragon Hunter and Trappers, then rehabilitated by me. I lead that program; I work well with dragons who are scared or aggressive because of what they endured while captured," Hiccup enlightened.

"Look, we weren't trying to hurt you. We didn't know it would react that way," Thuggory stated now.

"If I punched you in the face right now, would you get pissed off?" Hiccup gave a bored look.

"Well, yeah," Eret remarked.

"Then what the fuck do you think is going to happen when you slingshot a rock at a Monstrous Nightmare's head!? You are an idiot! And it wouldn't have attacked me; Hookfang would have blasted Astrid as she was in front of him! You almost got your girlfriend killed in your jealousy to make me look bad!" Hiccup yelled, Eret glanced off to the side, trying to stay a hard-ass, but he knew he messed up. "And even with her safe, Hookfang would have gone after all of you had I not stepped in,

My eyes widened. "Wait…You got yourself hurt on purpose?"

"I wouldn't call it that; I kept his focus on me so none of you would hurt. I know how to survive the attacks; you'd be dead. I know how to calm a Nightmare down; you don't. So yes, I intentionally put myself in a line of literal fire to keep him away from all of you. Enraged Nightmares can be calmed by dragging their horns to the ground; it's just challenging to get to their horns when they are ticked off, and it involved taking a few hits to position yourself a way to pull them down. I took that beating to calm Hookfang down, and protect my students," Hiccup explained.

"That's why you told Dagur to keep us back," Ragna said, surprised.

"A lot of people don't attempt what I did because of how dangerous it is, and tough too. Trying to hold a Nightmare's horns while they are flamed up; it's next to impossible," Hiccup said. I really felt terrible now. Hiccup knew who pissed the Nightmare off, and he could have let the dragon go after those who were guilty. Instead, he got himself hurt to protect us. "Hookfang wouldn't have dared attack me, but when he's in a mood; he's rough. The tailwhip against the stable was his way of telling me to back off, but when I persisted, he fought back because he knew what I'd do. I guess you could say at that point; he was playing."

"What he did was _playing_?!" Camicazi, Nadia, and Ragna said in surprise.

"If Hookfang was aiming to hurt me; he would have done a lot worse by using his fire or using enough force to crack ribs. But no; he wasn't intentionally trying to hurt me. Hookfang wanted to go after Eret; he knew who did it because Eret's scent was on the rock, so I kept Hookfang's attention on me and got him to play, though frustrated still," Hiccup informed.

"Hiccup, we're sorry. Sincerely," I told him. Hiccup rolled his eyes, then closed them sighing.

"I'm probably going to regret doing this, but…Fine. I forgive you," Hiccup said, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, and one more from me…For saving my life," I smiled a little. Hiccup only shrugged.

"If you honestly don't want me as the trainer anymore; I'll step down and give it to Dagur," Hiccup remarked.

"No, stay as the trainer," I spoke up, surprising my friends. "You're really good at it. We've had Dagur the past two days, and he continually says that some of our questions are _Hiccup questions_ ,"

"Well, I did teach him everything he knows, but not everything I do," Hiccup informed.

"Since we're here…Can you help us with some of the things that Dagur can't?" Camicazi wondered.

"I suppose, as long as you promise to stop giving me shit in class. I mean it…If you don't want to be there to learn about dragons, drop it and find another elective…I'm not going to waste my time instructing those who don't really care," Hiccup huffed with his arms over his chest. "And if you ever pull another stunt like Wednesday…" he warned.

"We won't. We swear," the seven of us responded quickly, seeing that Hiccup's tone was incredibly threatening and we knew he meant business.

"Good. Now, what did you need help with? And while explaining that, walk with me to the kitchen because I'm starving. I assume you all came here after school and haven't eaten yet either?" Hiccup asked, and we nodded. "Very well. Come; I'll provide you with dinner as it took a lot of balls to come here and apologize," he said. We were a little shocked. Didn't Hiccup know that we were forced to do this? I mean; I genuinely felt sorry knowing Hiccup got hurt that day, and even more so now knowing that Hiccup did it to protect us. Maybe we should just keep that to ourselves about being told to show up here. It seems Hiccup forgave us because we made the conscious choice to say sorry, and something said to me that Hiccup would flip his lid if he learned we only came on orders. I looked at the others, mouthing to shut up and not say a word.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{6:40 pm}**_

 _ **(Kitchen)**_

"Ah, young master Hiccup! I was wondering when you might be coming to see me about food," Hagen chuckled as Hiccup entered with the seven populars trailing behind. "Guests tonight?"

"Something like that. What have you got that's quick and easy?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, since your folks are out…Mac and cheese, hot dogs, ramen, burgers, chicken…Oh, and your personal favorite…Pizza," Hagen stated.

"The big ones?" Hiccup inquired.

"Do I buy anything else?" Hagen laughed a little.

"Good point. Make one of the big ones, and you know my choice toppings," Hiccup informed.

"Coming right up. They want anything on it?" Hagen wondered. Hiccup glanced at the seven.

"What are you toppings?" Thuggory asked.

"Beef, bacon, barbeque chicken," Hiccup said.

"That actually sounds really good," Gruffnut blinked.

"You girls alright with that?" Hiccup questioned.

"Can we do some with just pepperoni?" Camicazi hoped.

"I'm sure Hagen can make it happen," Hiccup nodded. Hagen smiled, then got to work with getting the dough and toppings. Hiccup led then into the family living room now but stopped and looked out the window curiously. Hiccup moved closer, inspecting outside almost.

"Something wrong?" Nadia asked.

"Hagen, can you flip that backyard light on for me?" Hiccup wondered. Seconds later, it was on, and Hiccup's eyes widened a little; it was almost a complete whiteout. "Oh, that's not good…" Hiccup said before getting his phone out. "Frigga," he called as there was a beep. "Call Dad,"

" **Calling** _ **Dad**_ **."**

There was ringing, and three in; there was a pickup.

" _Hi, son. Everything okay at home?"_ Stoick's voice asked.

"If you're asking if I'm okay, then yes. Anyway…Have you or Mom been outside in the last forty minutes or so?" Hiccup inquired.

" _No. We're still at the shelter, about to go to dinner,"_ Stoick replied.

"Stay put where you're at; it's not safe to drive or take the dragons through the freak blizzard we're having," Hiccup informed. The group of seven had wide eyes, seeing the storm now.

" _Good call, son. I actually just got a weather advisory text from the city. Flying and Driving Ban in effect until Sunday, but could still change depending on how the storm goes. Everyone is being urged to stay indoors."_ Valka's voice came through.

"I'll lock down the stables here. Are you two gonna be alright at the shelter?" Hiccup wondered.

" _We'll be fine, son. We have a full kitchen and back up generator. Will you be okay at the house?"_ Stoick questioned.

"I'm good, Dad. Relax," Hiccup responded. "I gotta call Liv, and make sure she's alright. I sent her home with Mirage less than thirty minutes ago,"

" _Keep us posted,"_ Valka informed.

"Will do," Hiccup answered.

" _Stay safe, Hiccup. We love you to-,"_ Stoick reminded.

"To the moon and back again," Hiccup replied.

" _Forever and always,"_ Valka said afterward. The call ended as Hiccup sighed, closing his eyes.

"I hope you seven didn't have anywhere else to be for a few days," Hiccup mentioned.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Astrid asked quickly.

"Flight and Driving Ban; you can't be in the sky or on the roads as long as it's in effect, which it is until the earliest right now, Sunday morning," Hiccup informed. "You're staying here until the city says it's safe to travel again," Hiccup looked at them.

"Y-You mean we're stuck here?" they asked as Hiccup nodded once.


	12. The Real Hiccup

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The Real Hiccup

 _ **~Author's Note;** To those of you who think the story is slow on the major events, I apologize. The point of this story is that Astrid is telling the story from mostly her point of view. As in chapter one, you may have noticed it starts with her about to get married to Hiccup, and she thinks back to how it all began. So, knowing that; you will start noticing things that lead up to the bigger events. The things that show you how Hiccup and Astrid go from where they are to the day they wed. I promise you it's coming soon; all this leads up to the beginning of chapter one. You just have to be patient. Thank you! -Nightstar._

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 15, 2021-6:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

None of them could believe it. All they were told to do was go to Hiccup's place and apologize to him for what happened on Wednesday, not that Hiccup knew they had been ordered. As far as he was concerned; the seven chose to come of their own free will. Regardless, after some fighting, and learning that Hiccup protected them; they did give a sincere apology, and Hiccup forgave them. And they were ready to sit back for a bit and get help in dragon where Dagur couldn't because he lacked the knowledge Hiccup had, or at least not all of it. However, the situation changed to see that they were in on of the island's freak blizzards. All transportation had been grounded. Planes, trains, buses, cars, and dragons. There was a ban in effect until the earliest, Sunday, which meant that they now were now stuck there, at Hiccup's house, by city orders. The only people out were those who worked for the town or rescue crews. This was shaping up to be a crappy weekend.

"You guys better call your parents and let them know," Hiccup advised.

"We can't stay here for two days," Ragna stated.

"We don't have clothes, or-," Camicazi began.

"You'll be fine for a couple of days. I have bathrobes, and laundry room to wash your stuff if you honestly can't deal with being in it for a couple of days. Guys do it all the time," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "It's a blizzard, and you're not allowed on the roads. Come on, Astrid; you're the mayor's daughter. You know better than to break an official city order," he added when Astrid was about to protest as well.

"Sadly…He's right. My father would kill me if he found out I was driving in this," Astrid muttered.

"Look, I'm no more happy about it than all of you are, but this is how it is. I would much rather be stuck with my friends all weekend, than you, but that's not how things played out. So, why don't we just-," Hiccup started.

"We wouldn't still be here if you weren't upstairs having sex when we arrived!" Eret accused.

"If I had a warning you were coming; I could have made myself more available. You showed up, unannounced, while I was busy. And not for nothing, but uh, I'm not stopping my good time just because seven people I severely dislike decided to come here to apologize for fucking up over jealousy." Hiccup said.

"Well, you could have shortened your _good time_ long enough to talk to us," Gruffnut offered.

"Maybe you're satisfied with a quick fuck, but I didn't earn my title of being a God in bed by my girlfriend for _quickies_ ," Hiccup informed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You could have gone home, and come back another time. Or told me on Monday when I'm back at school. You chose to wait around for two hours, which is slightly admiral that you were so dedicated to apologizing, but that was your call. Not mine, so don't fault me for your decisions. Now, what's done is done. It's a blizzard; we're all stuck here together, so let's push personal feelings aside and try to get along for the time being? Okay? Can you handle that? Because if not, you can spend the weekend on the grounds in the stables with Stormfly, Hookfang, Barf, Belch, Spearstrike, and Silverwhip,"

"Wait, that dragon from Wednesday is here?!" Thuggory asked quickly.

"Yes, and maybe if you don't want to see what a dragon with a grudge looks like; you stop bitching like a bunch of sissies and deal with the situation. Oh, and maybe be kind to the guy who graciously decided not to press charges, and is letting you stay in the house during the storm, providing dinner…I mean, I can keep going…But something tells me that not even your seven are that stupid not to grasp the picture of what I'm getting at," Hiccup huffed.

"Fine, we get it," Eret muttered.

"Good," Hiccup said while going to what looked like a fuse box on the wall, opening it and then pressing one of the buttons. "Main to Stables,"

" _Stables to Main,"_

"Lock it down, and stay warm. Let me know if there's a problem," Hiccup said.

" _Aye, sir,"_ the voice replied. Hiccup released the button, then closed the door.

"Start calling home," Hiccup told the seven. Sighing, they started pulling out their phones and texting their parents, or just calling because it was easier. Once it was done around 7 pm, Hagen called to say the food was done, so they all moved to the kitchen around the counter where the large pizza was. "Nice work, Hagen,"

"I try to impress," Hagen replied with a smile, then he went to continue cleaning things up.

"Frigga. Call Liv,"

" **Calling** _ **Liv**_ **."**

" _Hey, sexy,"_ Olivia answered happily.

"Hi, gorgeous. Making sure you made it home safely," Hiccup asked.

" _Got a little rough, but yeah; I'm good. How's Roo?"_

Hiccup chuckled, loving the shortened name for Runa, then checked his watch. "Probably about to wake up in the next ten to fifteen minutes,"

" _How'd that annoyance situation go?"_

"Still annoying. They're still here, stuck with me until this weather clears up," Hiccup replied while grabbing a slice of the pizza.

" _Oh, you poor thing. I should have stayed. At least I could have entertained you,"_

"Will not disagree with you," Hiccup stated.

" _Well, if you get bored; you have a hand,"_ Olivia giggled.

"Doesn't even come close to feeling the same way," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"So true," Thuggory agreed with a nod from Eret. Camicazi and Astrid smacked them in the arm.

"Ow! What? He's right! Masturbating is shit compared to someone else doing it," Eret remarked. Hiccup stifled a laugh.

"Okay…I'm gonna go, babe. I'll call you later to say goodnight to the little lady," Hiccup chuckled.

" _I'll be waiting. I love you,"_

"Love you more," Hiccup said. The call ended, then there was a beep. Hiccup shook his head, smiling, then took a bite of his pizza slice. Not more than two minutes later; there was ringing.

" **Call from** _ **Snot**_ **. Accept or Deny"**

"Accept," Hiccup said. There was a click. "What's up, cuz?"

" _Dude, have you seen outside?"_ Snotlout answered.

"Yep. You and the fam hunkered down?" Hiccup wondered.

" _As if my father wouldn't make us. Oh, the others are on this call too,"_ Snotlout added.

"Hey, gang," Hiccup greeted.

" _Hey, Hicster,"_ Tuffnut and Ruffnut said. Hiccup rolled his eyes while taking another bite.

" _Hi, Hic,"_ Heather went next.

" _How are you and your family doing so far?"_ Minden inquired.

" _How're our dragons?"_ Fishlegs wondered.

"Dragons are locked down in the stables and doing fine. Parents are at the shelter with Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher. And lucky me is home with the staff and Runa. Oh, and Astrid, Eret, Camicazi, Thuggory, Gruffnut, Nadia, and Ragna…" Hiccup stated.

" _Oh, you poor thing. Want us to sneak over?"_ Heather inquired.

"Now, I know I said I'd do anything for you guys, but I really would prefer not to have to bail you all out of lockup. Stay where you're at; I think I can handle a couple of days with them," Hiccup informed.

" _If you're sure,"_ Snotlout chuckled.

"Snot, your father, would murder you if you went against an order the police station he is Chief of issued," Hiccup laughed a bit.

" _So, the dragons are okay?"_ Minden questioned.

"Yes, all of them are fine, Minden. All locked down in the stables with the crew out there to watch thing. Plenty of water and food," Hiccup affirmed. "Now, I'm gonna go so that I can eat dinner. I'll probably jump on the systems later and catch you there for a couple of rounds,"

" _Alright. See ya later, man,"_ Snotlout said. After another round of goodbye's from the friends, the call ended.

"Anyone else wanna call?" he asked, leaving it open for another set of ringing. Thankfully, it didn't. Hiccup continued eating his slice. Hagen brought over a can of soda for him.

"At least you didn't have work tonight," Hagen reminded.

"Seriously. I will Monday, though. Not that I mind; I kind of like it," Hiccup admitted.

"Why do you like working when you have money?" Thuggory asked.

"I like making my own; it's a pretty nice feeling to earn it," Hiccup said. "Now, just eat. We can work on that dragon stuff after," he added. Not arguing, the group stayed quiet while eating the food.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:20 pm}**_

When the eight were done eating, Hagen began cleaning things up as Hiccup got off the chair to stretch and twist his back, then neck. Both cracked slightly before he relaxed, then whimpering was heard. Hiccup turned the monitor up in volume, listening still. The whimpers continued a bit, then stopped.

"Not quite yet," Hiccup stated, and the group assumed that meant Runa would be waking up shortly for a feeding. Hiccup checked outside, seeing the blizzard in action. "When you guys came in, where did you park?" he asked.

"Same place as two weeks ago?" Astrid replied.

"Let me see your keys, both of you," Hiccup held out his hand. Astrid and Thuggory handed over their keys as Hiccup left the kitchen, and they followed curiously as Hiccup was seen giving the keys to two of the staff.

"What are they doing with the keys?" Thuggory asked.

"Putting your cars in the second garage of the Motor Court," Hiccup informed.

"Oh. Thank you," Astrid stated, a bit shocked that Hiccup was having their vehicles put in the garage. Hiccup just nodded, then began making his way upstairs.

"Are you coming or not?" Hiccup inquired. The seven followed him, not wanting to get lost. It was a big house, effortless to do if you weren't familiar with the layout. And even being that the group had seen it once, that wasn't enough to say they could successfully navigate their way around on their own.

 **. . .**

 **(Second Level)**

"So, where are we staying while we're here?" Gruffnut decided to ask.

"Guest rooms," Hiccup replied. "Though, you get to fight each other over who gets the bed or couch,"

"Is that what your friend do when they're over?" Ragna wondered.

"We all remain downstairs in the game room," Hiccup informed.

"It's not weird to stay in a room with all guys?" Camicazi blinked.

"Not really, no. I mean; we're all males. We have the same parts, just different builds. And above all, we're best friends," Hiccup shrugged while reaching the door to his room. "I meant all as in the girl too," he added.

"And your parents and their parents don't mind if you do a coed sleepover in the same room?" Eret inquired.

"For starters; I have a girlfriend, and I'm not about to be unfaithful to her over one night with a good friend. Secondly, Minden and Ruffnut aren't my type, and Heather is like a sister to me. And that's about the extent of my female friends. Well, there are others, but they go to school in their hometowns. Uh, Brenna, Katja, Signy…Regardless. All friends; would never sleep with any of them. Lastly…My parents can trust that it's just friends hanging out, and nothing sexual is going on," Hiccup stated.

"And…Olivia sleeping over? Your parents don't mind that? Or hers?" Nadia jumped in now.

"Well, they minded before she got pregnant. But obviously, they know we have sex, so why fight it? All they ask is that we're safe," Hiccup stopped. "Okay, let me rephrase that… _Safer_ ," he added. "Always using condoms, and she's on different birth control now," Hiccup got to the top of the stairs.

"Which one, if you don't mind me asking?" Astrid asked.

"Uh…I think it's the IUD that goes in the arm. A three-year one?" Hiccup replied, slightly unsure if he was right or not while walking around the balcony area that showed the Central Foyer below. Hiccup turned right and put his hand on the handle.

"Wait…Isn't that your room, over there?" Thuggory motioned to the door on his left. "That's what you said two weeks ago,"

"There was a bedroom switch since you've last been here. My parents didn't like having all the extra space, so we swapped; I have the master now," Hiccup informed, opening the door. "And be quiet because Runa's nursery is in here too; it's mostly soundproofed, but too much noise will get through," he said walking in and flipping on the light.

"Woah," the seven in the group eye's widened.

"Welcome to the Master Suite," Hiccup motioned to around him while standing in the middle of the what appeared to be the bedroom. It was a massive room, and all they could do was stare in awe of everything before them. However, the one thing on all their minds is maybe they could get to know the real Hiccup this weekend because they've been misjudging him for years, and it was clear that there was still much to learn.


	13. Interesting Weekend

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

An Interesting Weekend

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, October 15, 2021-7:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor)**_

I swear; it just kept happening! Every time my friends and I were with Hiccup; we learned something new. So, here we are in Hiccup's bedroom, which is something we didn't see last time because all he did was state the room that was his. Also, Hiccup mentioned that his daughter's nursery was in here too, so that might have something to do with the bedroom switch. Minding what he said; we stared in shock but stayed quiet.

"Doesn't seem like it has much…" Eret remarked.

"Fireplace is a nice touch," Ragna said.

"Well, there isn't much purpose for a bedroom except to sleep really, so yes; it's a very fundamental setup," Hiccup shrugged.

"It reminds me of my parents' room," I stated. A few things stuck out, such as Hiccup's messy bed. I assumed that Olivia and Hiccup fucked in it not that long ago, so he hadn't made the bed yet. From where I stood; I could see the entire room. Upon entering, I looked right first to see a nightstand, the king-sized bed, a small bassinet for Runa. Then, I could see a closet, fireplace, small corner shelf with books, two large window seats, and then a desk. Next was a tall, four-drawer, brown dresser with a TV on it. After that; it was a set of doors. And my curiosity was harassing me to find out what was behind them. Possibly the nursery Hiccup was talking about? "Only they have a master bathroom in theirs," I added.

Hiccup cleared his throat a few times, motioning his hand along the wall where the closet was. I moved with the others to glance at where he was pointing; it was a hallway with four more doors. "Master Bath, Art Room, Nursery, and Walk-In Closet," Hiccup informed while leaning against the wall with his arms folded over one another. Hiccup opened the first door on the right revealing the bathroom. My friends and I poked our heads in to see what was in there. Going around from right to left; there was a sink, then a large tub. I saw another room, then the walk-in shower, and a closet. "The toilet is behind that door on the right of the walk-in shower," Hiccup stated.

"And you have an Art Room?" Gruffnut asked. Hiccup nodded, shutting the bathroom door and squeezing by us to get to the next door on the right side of the hall.

"It's formally _his bath_. This suite had two bathrooms and two walk-in-closets. His and hers for both rooms. My mom's bathroom is the one we were just in, and my art room was my father's. I kept one of the walk-in's for my closet, which is this door over here on the left; it was dads originally. Mom's walk-in is now Runa's Nursery," Hiccup explained as he flipped on the light into the Art area, revealing desks, lamps, paints, notebooks, papers, etc. Everything you'd expect in an Art Room.

"What are those windows for?" Eret asked.

"Oh, I added those so I could see into Runa's room. See, my art room is soundproof, so I can't hear anything while inside of it with the door shut. I usually listen to my music while drawing and stuff. I put the window in so I could see into Runa's room for when she wakes up; I can see her moving and what not," Hiccup enlightened.

"Ah, well, that's clever," Camicazi stated.

"I thought so," Hiccup nodded as we exited that room and Hiccup showed us is walk-in-closet. A big square room with shoes, suits, bags, hats, accessories table. It was pretty cool; I had to admit that.

"Can we see the nursery?" I wondered.

"If you can be super quiet," Hiccup replied. We nodded as Hiccup closed the door to his closet, and moved to the end of the hall. On the door in purple and pink wooden letters was the name, _Runa Haddock_. Then there were a bunch of yellow and silver stars around it. Hiccup carefully turned the handle and opened the door to the nursery. It was a large room, but Hiccup had mentioned it was a walk-in-closet first. The crib was right against the left wall, then a changing table, closet, dresser, play area, toy box, rocking chair, single-seat couch with footrest and a small table next to the sofa, then a tiny bookshelf. The walls light shades of pink and purple, white trim.

"It's so cute…Who designed it? Olivia?" Camicazi asked.

"Actually, I did," Hiccup responded proudly. As if Runa knew her father was in the room, the infant began to wriggle around in her crib, making soft noises before starting to cry.

"Oops," Thuggory said.

"It's okay; she's due to be up for the next feeding anyway," Hiccup turned on the light, then lowered the side of the crib to a few spots down as he lifted the baby into his arms. Hiccup rocked her a little, then gave back her pacifier before moving to the changing table. Hiccup laid Runa down and began undoing her clothes to change the diaper, after adding a little powder; it was finished. Hiccup tossed the old diaper in the pail before lifting his daughter once more. Hiccup held her under the arms, bringing her back and forth to rub their noses together. The baby giggled a little, putting her hands on his face each time. Hiccup left the room, flipping the lights off and getting back into the central part of the bedroom.

Hiccup pulled over Runa's walker, setting her inside and making sure she was strapped in. Hiccup turned the switch to ON before stepping back while she reached for and played with some of the things on it. Hiccup turned the monitor that had been clipped to his sweatpants off before moving to the doors along the left wall of his room. This had been the space I was curious about, so I made sure to get closer so I could see better. Hiccup opened the door to reveal what appeared to be a small living area. Three couches around an oval table sat in front of the fireplace, which had a seventy-inch TV mounted to the wall above it. There were two doors across from one another on the left and right. The right led to the outside balcony, and the left appeared to lead outside of the room back into the main hallway.

Also, the right had a small seating area with two chairs and a middle table. The left had another rocking recliner and bassinet for Runa. However, the left of the fireplace had black, granite counter tops, a small sink, microwave, mini-fridge, and some storage cabinets. There was even a four-seater square table and chairs in the small kitchen. Minus the stove; it was basically a kitchen. "Oh, and this is the Master Sitting Room/Library," Hiccup stated when he assumed that we were wondering what this room was. "It's where the guys and I sleep if we don't feel like being in the basement. There are some gaming systems up here too," he added. Hiccup moved to different cupboards to pull out a bottle, formula, and some infant cereal and get everything mixed up but didn't add the water yet.

"I thought you said she had to eat?" Eret asked.

"But she's content right now, so I'm not gonna just feed her and send her back to bed. I want her up longer, that way she'll sleep until about 11:30 pm. After that, she'll go back to sleep at 12:30 am with the infant cereal to hold her over longer and through the night. I aim to have her back up around 5 am, then it begins again," Hiccup explained. "The faster you get them on a schedule, the easier it is to sleep at night and not need to be up every three to four hours for feedings,"

"Makes sense," Nadia nodded.

"Yep, so I let her stay up and play there, or we'll sit on the floor with toys until she gets cranky. When she stops playing and accepting the binky; it's time to eat. I keep the bottle ready for when that point hits," Hiccup informed. "You guys can find places to sit down; you don't have to just stand," he added while moving to his bed to make it up. While snapping the comforter from it's jumbled up mess to have it lay flat on the sheets, a bra went up in the air. Hiccup caught it and then chuckled a little. "Knew I'd find it," Hiccup set the article on his nightstand and finished making the bed.

"Frigga. Text Liv,"

" **Okay. What shall I say to** _ **Liv**_ **?"**

"Hey, babe. Found your bra in the blanket," Hiccup said.

" **Are you ready to send your message?"**

"Send,"

" **Message sent."**

Hiccup smoothed out his bed blanket, then fixed the pillows before sitting on the edge of it and laying back with his arms out. "Finally…" he sighed out comfortably. "You guys are probably sleeping between here and the sitting room. I just remembered that mom and dad are renovating the guest rooms,"

"Wait. In here…With you?" I asked.

"Well, I mean, not all in the same bed. Come on; I don't bite…Unless you ask me to. Liv loves it. Moving on…You seven can divvy up how you want to sleep; I got the window beds, couches, recliners…Or I can provide a sleeping bag and pillow, then you can sleep on the floor," Hiccup said."The couches pull out into beds, and the recliners are pretty comfortable too," he added.

"Okay, one; we didn't need to know that your girlfriend likes you biting her, and I'm also terrified to know where" Ragna rolled her eyes.

"Secondly…How would it work? With how it's all arranged; it would never pull out right," Gruffnut said.

"I don't know if you noticed this, but uh, those couches can be moved," Hiccup deadpanned sarcastically as he got off the bed and went into the sitting room, beginning to pull the three couches apart from one another, moving tables and what not. Hiccup started to set the couches up into their pull-out bedforms. By the time he was done; there were three more beds available. One bed was the one in front of Hiccup's fireplace; it was a two-sided couch, meaning that one side was a couch and facing the fireplace. The second side faced outward towards the side room, and able to pull out into a bed. The other two couches remained in the side room, also pulled out into beds. Hiccup went into the hall for a moment, returning with sheets, pillows, and comforters. "Now, see? Was that so hard?" Hiccup muttered, dropping the fabrics onto the bed in his room.

"Show off," Thuggory mumbled.

"Spoiled rotten, rich, sleeping outside in the stables with the dragons boy says what?" Hiccup asked.

"Nothing," Thuggory said quickly.

"Uh huh. Yeah, that's what I thought," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"It's not fair to call him spoiled rotten Hiccup. You live a much more extravagant life than you let on," Camicazi said.

"You have a bonded dragon, and have since you were fifteen," Gruffnut reminded.

"So do Snotlout, Minden, Fishlegs, Dagur, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Heather," Hiccup retorted.

"You live in a mansion," Eret argued.

"You have tons of money," Ragna added.

"And you have more stuff than all of us," I remarked. "If anyone is spoiled here; it's you,"

Hiccup seemed to sigh, sitting on his bed with the pillows propped against the wall. Hiccup had one leg over the left side of the bed, and his right leg was bent with the knee upward and his right arm resting over that. "You got valid points. I do have a lot of stuff, and Odin knows it cost amounts of money that I can't even begin to add up over the years. However, you are wrong about one detail…"

"And that is?" Nadia questioned.

"I never asked for these things," Hiccup stated, taking us all by surprise. "All of it was either given as a gift or paid for with my own money," he informed.

"Well, yeah. That's what we just said," Eret rolled his eyes.

"You misunderstand. See, when I say my _own_ money; its because that is money that I earned through work. Yes, actual jobs where they pay you for the things you do. Since the time I was probably five, I've helped out wherever I could to earn money. Sweeping a room, cleaning mine, helping with the dragons. Things a kid can do. As I got older; I started volunteering at my mother's shelter, or helping my Godfather out. Anything I did; I was paid for doing it. My grandparents used to pay me for good grades and making honor roll, a bonus if I made the student of the month. I get birthday money every year from all my uncles and aunts; used to get it from my grandparents too until they all passed on. And don't forget…I work a real job, weekly. All my money got put away for savings. Somethings you've seen that are mine were bought with the money I earned or were given as gifts, but never asked for," Hiccup explained.

"The Nursery you saw, was from the baby shower. Gifts for Runa when Liv and I found out we were having a little girl. The party was for Olivia, but since she doesn't have a lot of space where she lives; we decided to keep the more significant pieces here. Liv has a crib and changing table/dresser combination at home to save room. My bookshelves were custom-built by me. Those couches belonged to my grandparents, both sets of them before they passed away. This bed and the nightstand came from Gobber because he had no need for an apartment with all his tours of duty, so he gave it to me. As I said everything I have was either given as a gift or paid for out of my own pocket with money I earned by working for it. I've never asked my parents for a single penny of our wealth," Hiccup went on, then closed his eyes. Suddenly, I was feeling a little guilty about calling him spoiled. Sure, Hiccup had a lot, but it wasn't fair to say he just got whatever he wanted by asking for it. No, Hiccup earned it all.

Hiccup smiled a little, giving half of a laugh. "And yet; it doesn't matter because I don't expect any of you seven to know what it's like to work and earn the things you have as I'm sure you just ask mommy or daddy for it. You seven are spoiled, which means to have everything given to or done for you," Hiccup stated. "Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'll take your stunned silence as the fact you can't deny a word of what I just said, which therefore makes me right," he added calmly as Runa giggled, and clapped her hands sloppily. "Aw, thank you," Hiccup said to her as Hiccup leaned over to pick her up and lay her belly-down on his chest, then continue playing with her. I already felt like this was going to be a very long, and interesting weekend with the newly formed tension between Hiccup and my friends.


	14. A Father & His Daughter

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

A Father & His Daughter

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, October 16, 2021-6:45 am}**_

 _ **(Hiccup's Bedroom)**_

No one had anything to say after Hiccup said what he did to them. How could they? Sadly, Hiccup wasn't wrong. Hiccup might be rich, but it appeared that he made his own living instead of going with the one he was handed. The rest of the night was relatively calm. Around 8:05 pm, Runa was fed her bottle, burped, changed, then back to sleep. Hiccup didn't talk to the others, but he jumped online and played a few rounds with his friends. The popular seven took it upon themselves to set up the beds they'd be using. Eret and Astrid were sharing the bed inside Hiccup's room while Gruffnut slept in one of the recliner chairs. Thuggory and Camicazi took a bed in the sitting room, then Nadia and Ragna were sharing the second bed in the same place. It wasn't the best arrangement, but as Hiccup mentioned to them; he didn't have to be this generous either. Hiccup could have just given them sleeping bags and pillows, but he didn't, so the seven thought it might be a good idea not to aggravate Hiccup the rest of the time they were there.

Runa was up again for the final night feeding until morning at about 12:40 am. The others were laying down, trying to sleep but ended up staying away through Runa's feeding. Hiccup took care of Runa in her room, so not to disturb the others and then after Runa was back to sleep around 2 am, Hiccup didn't even go to sleep. Hiccup ended up taking a shower until 2:20 am, then finally, he laid down on his bed and knocked out around 2:45 am. Now, it was the next morning as the others were just beginning to wake up, but Hiccup was out like a light, or so they thought.

"Not gonna lie; these couch beds are super comfortable," Camicazi whispered, greeting the other six.

"What time is it?" Gruffnut rubbed his eyes.

"Fifteen to seven," Astrid replied, checking her phone.

"Looks like he's still sleeping," Nadia pointed to Hiccup who was laying on the left side of his body, and the right side of the bed. The blanket was half off him, revealing that Hiccup wasn't wearing a shirt. Hiccup shifted a little, moving onto his stomach with his arms under the pillow and head turned to the left.

"Well, he didn't get to sleep until almost 3 am," Eret informed. "Astrid and I were awake. Hiccup got Runa back to bed, then took a shower before falling there," The seven stayed quiet to use the bathroom and sit on the bed Astrid and Eret were using to charge their phones and check in back home. The storm didn't appear to be any better either. As it neared 7 am, Runa began to whimper. However, Hiccup remained asleep. A minute later, Runa was crying loudly as Hiccup shifted again, turning his head to the right and lifting it up to listen better. Hiccup groaned, rubbing his eyes and turning over to sit up.

"Hang on, Princess. Daddy's comin'," Hiccup said tiredly as he threw the blanket off and stood up, revealing to be in a pair of semi-loose gym shorts. Hiccup stretched then moved into the nursery. Five minutes later, Hiccup came back out holding Runa with one arm, and her head was on his shoulder. Hiccup carefully walked around the beds to get into the sitting room and make the bottle for her. After that, Hiccup returned to his bed, sitting up against the wall and positioning Runa to feed her.

"Morning," Nadia greeted.

"Hi," Hiccup said, apparently not a morning person. Or maybe it had to do with the fact he only got about four hours of sleep. "If any of you want coffee, there's some brewing in the sitting room," he added with his eyes closed. Not saying anything, they got up to step into the other room. Astrid got a mug first, then stopped and poked her head back into the bedroom.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Hm?" Hiccup replied.

"How do you like yours? Coffee, I mean," Astrid inquired.

"French Vanilla and three sugars," Hiccup informed. Astrid nodded, moving back into the room and making a coffee for him.

"What are you doing?" Eret asked.

"Guy only had four hours of sleep and woken up by the baby. I think he'd probably like some of the coffee he started brewing. Come on; we could stand to play nice while we're here…" Astrid rolled her eyes, then returned to the bedroom. Astrid stood beside the bed, offering the mug to Hiccup. "Here; you look like you could use some,"

"Um…Thanks?" Hiccup blinked a little, surprised. Hiccup adjusted his arms and the hand to hold Runa's bottle with one, then took the mug from her. Hiccup took a few sips off the top, then set it down beside him. Hiccup relaxed more while feeding Runa as the others got their coffee and just sat around quietly to drink their beverages.

 **. . .**

 _ **{8:10 am}**_

Hiccup got Runa back to sleep, then he finished his coffee and used the bathroom; even taking another quick shower. By 8:25 am, Hiccup walked out of his master bathroom. Hiccup wore a pair of black jeans, no socks or shirt. However, he did have his headphones in while moving to the dresser to grab said shirt and socks that he wasn't wearing.

" _Some people call me little. Some people call me small. But given the chance, I'll rise and stand above them all. Some people put me down. Some people kick me around. But believe me, when I say, I'll be the one who rules this town. But they all say no, and say you can't go. But I won't let them decide who I should be…"_

" _Colorful rainbows catch my eyes when I see you fly across the sky. You're like a drug that calms the mind. Like a drug that calms the mind. I'll flap my wings and get off of the floor. I'll fly higher than ever before. Wind in my hair as I start to soar…Wind in my hair as I start to soar!"_

Hiccup didn't even seem to remember there were others around. Hiccup started just humming along for a bit, and then he began singing once more. _"I know-I know if you give me the chance. I know-I know if you give me the chance. I know-I know if you give me the chance. I know-I know if you give me the chance. I'll be the one who stands up tall. The one who rises above them all. The one who gets to be…Somebody!"_ the note was long, and kind'a high, but Hiccup managed it. Hiccup paused whatever he was playing, then pulled his headphones out.

"Random question…Where'd you learn to sing?" Ragna asked.

"Taught myself, but according to my parents and other family members; I've always been good at it," Hiccup shrugged. "Come on; breakfast time," he motioned for them to follow.

"You don't wanna go back to sleep?" Thuggory wondered.

"Why should I?" Hiccup asked while leading them downstairs to get into the kitchen.

"You don't look like you got a lot of sleep last night," Gruffnut said.

"I didn't, but I'll live," Hiccup replied as he started breaking things out to make breakfast. "Any of your allergic anything?" he asked.

"Nope, we're good," Astrid told him. Hiccup nodded, beginning to cook. It was silent about five minutes. "So, since we never got to it last night…Can you still help us with that dragon training stuff?" she decided to inquire.

"I suppose. What are you having trouble understanding?" Hiccup glanced over while flipping the bacon.

"Well, we've finished Stoker Class. Dagur managed to squeeze the last five dragons in after Nightmare over Thursday and Friday. Dagur couldn't remember if you did…Uh, I think it's called Red Death?" Nadia said.

"We did go over it briefly. Unfortunately; it's not a dragon we can do a lot of research on because that last one rumored was back in Viking times. Also, that's not a beast you want to get near," Hiccup shrugged while watching the bacon still, but breaking out another pan to do sausage links.

"Was it that bad?" Eret wondered.

"From many stories passed down over the centuries…Red Death is said to be an enormous Stoker Class dragon. Four-hundred feet long, ninety-nine feet tall and had a wingspan of five-hundred and fifty feet. This thing had three pairs of eyes, massive clubbed tail, head frill, vacuum-like mouth. It could create a homing signal to control other dragons," Hiccup informed.

"Wow. Thank God that thing isn't around anymore," Gruffnut blinked.

"In theory, it's not around anymore. We don't know; I don't believe anyone really wants to go looking for it. The best place to look is volcanos," Hiccup stated.

"What classification are we doing next?" Camicazi inquired.

"Boulder, Sharp, and Strike," Hiccup listed.

"How many dragons in those? I mean, are we going to finish in time for Midterms?" Astrid asked.

"Twelve in Boulder. Fourteen for Sharp and six to Strike," Hiccup replied calmly. "And yes, we'll have plenty of time as long as there are no more incidents like Wednesday," he added a little coldly.

"On a slightly unrelated note…What was that thing you mentioned yesterday? That your friends had bonded dragons already?" Thuggory questioned.

"That's precisely what I said. My friends already have their own dragons, but to register them at the Dragon Registry Office; they have to pass Dragon Classifications first. I'm a legal dragon owner, caretaker, and trainer so I can house their dragons here until such a time they finish," Hiccup yawned while pulling the bacon off, then setting it off to the side for the extra grease to drip off. Hiccup rolled the sausage links, then lowering the heat before draining the oil from the bacon and rinsing out the pan. Hiccup started cracking eggs, adding cheese, salt, pepper, and a little milk before mixing it together and dumping it in the pan for cooking. Grabbing a whisk, Hiccup kept on moving the eggs around so they wouldn't burn.

During all that, Hiccup managed to get the toast going in the oven; he pulled out jelly, butter, and cinnamon. "You named the Monstrous Nightmare from Wednesday…Is he one that belongs to a friend?" Astrid inquired.

"Hookfang, a male Monstrous Nightmare and he belongs to Snotlout; the two of them don't always see eye to eye. And Hookfang has set Snotlout's pants on fire more times than I can count. Also, Snot takes so much abuse from his dragon that it's hilarious to watch. However, Hookfang would never let anyone, or anything hurt him," Hiccup explained, still mixing the eggs around, and adding the cheese to melt in.

"What about the others you mentioned?" Nadia pushed.

"Well, there's Meatlug. Female Gronckle, belongs to Fishlegs. Uh, Windshear is a female Razorwhip and is Heather's. Minden has a female Razorwhip too, she calls her Silverwhip. Ruff and Tuff share a male Hideous Zippleback, each of them ride one side. Tuffnut has the right, called Belch. Ruffnut named the left Barf. Oh, and Adelaide, she has a male Razorwhip named Spearstrike," Hiccup explained.

"And you have Stormfly," Eret mentioned.

"Correct," Hiccup nodded. "We all bonded about three years ago. Me and Stormfly first, then within six months, the others to theirs," he added while turning the burner off and grabbing a stack of eight paper plates, then the forks and setting them out. Hiccup set the pan of eggs on the counter on a hotplate, then the bacon and sausage along with toast and it's additional add-ons. The seven began to get their food and eat while around the center island in the kitchen. Hiccup grabbed his last as they were all eating.

"What class are Razorwhips?" Camicazi asked.

"Sharp," Hiccup said.

"A-And Gronckles are Boulder, right?" Astrid wondered. Hiccup nodded to confirm while still eating. "How come Nadders are Tracker Class?"

"Not sure actually. Deadly Nadder used to be Sharp because of the spines, but somewhere along the lines; they got moved into Tracker. Also, it's fitting too because they are excellent Trackers," Hiccup stated.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Nadia questioned.

"Here and there. It never hurts to have life skills," Hiccup shrugged.

"I don't see why, though. Like, it doesn't make sense to me that you have all this stuff, but you still do things as if you have nothing and need to make living," Gruffnut enlightened.

"It goes back to what I told you all two weeks ago; all this doesn't define who I am," Hiccup remarked. "Money is just another object used to make the world go round, but it doesn't make a person who they are,"

"But why work a job? Why do all these things that your staff could do? Like cooking, or cleaning?" Eret asked.

"Because if I didn't have all this; I would have to do it. Do you remember when I told you that I know who my true friends are with or without all this?" Hiccup looked at the seven as they nodded. "The same situation applies. Yeah, I've got people who could do everything for me. Cook, clean, laundry, even take care of Runa. My family has a lot of money. Yes; I have a lot. But what would happen if I woke up tomorrow and everything was gone? The house, the money, the help? Who is left to do everything? Just me," Hiccup explained.

"I still don't see how it would help," Ragna responded.

Hiccup sighed, setting his plate down. "Let me try it this way. Who does your laundry at home? Who cleans your house? Cooks the food? Pays for your cars, school items?" he inquired.

"Well, we have helpers in my house," Thuggory said.

"Same," Camicazi and Eret replied.

"My parents," Astrid informed.

"Okay, now what happens if all that is gone? Astrid, your dad, is mayor, and your mom a top doctor. What happens if they lost their jobs. Would you still have all that money?" Hiccup tried.

"Well, no…But they'd just get new jobs…" Astrid said.

"What if they couldn't? Say something occurred where they were unable to work. Someone gets sick, can't find a new job, injury. Think about it, and then add in if they couldn't pay for the cars, the house. What happens when they don't make enough to let you keep all the things you have? Who would it fall on to take care of herself?"

"Me?" Astrid replied.

"And because you're so used to having everything given to or done for you…Would you know how? To care for yourself?" Hiccup questioned.

"Probably not…" Astrid said.

"Same goes for all of you. What happens if something happens to your perfect lives? Can you care for yourselves?" Hiccup looked over the remaining six. They shook their heads. "That's why I do all the things I do. If I woke up tomorrow, and all this was gone. I can still take care of myself, my daughter, my dragon…My family. I don't rely on my parents to support me. I don't count on this staff to handle everything. I have money in the bank to fall back on. I have loyal friends who would let me crash at their place if I needed it. I can take care of my daughter on my own because I don't make the staff just do it for me. A perfect example is that I'm exhausted right now, but I still got up after only four hours of sleep to take care of Runa, then come down here and make breakfast. I know how to clean, do laundry, cook, and work a real job. You can't rely on the life you've been given, so I made one for myself. One that allows me to survive with or without all this," he motioned around to the house.

"Ugh, you are sickeningly kind, optimistic, and wise," Gruffnut rolled his eyes.

"Just because I'm rich doesn't mean I have to be an asshole to everyone. I get through life by staying humble and kind," Hiccup chuckled as a maid came through holding Runa in her arms. "Hey, you're supposed to be sleeping right now," he took the child from the woman.

"I was gathering laundry and heard her; I tried to get her to go back to sleep, but she wasn't having it," the female said.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Mia. Thank you," Hiccup smiled as Mia nodded, then walked off. Runa was crying lightly as Hiccup put her up and on his shoulder, beginning to rub and pat her back a little. About twenty seconds later, Runa burped, and the whimpers stopped. Hiccup laid her back down in his arms and smiled. "There. Now, do we feel better?" Runa smiled, her hands reaching up to touch his face. Hiccup lowered is head more, rubbing his nose against hers. Hiccup set Runa on the counter, then grabbing a dishrag and putting it over his head. "Where's daddy, Runa?" he said. It took a second or two, but she reached a bit and pulled the rag down. "There he is!" Runa giggled. Hiccup did it again, Runa's laughing continued with little squeaks clapping.

This time, he put it over her head. "Where's Runa?" She pulled the rag down. "Boo!" a bigger laugh came forward. Hiccup repeated this a few more times. Then it went back to her pulling it off of him. Runa was giggling, bouncing around with her arms and legs moving around.

"She adores you," Astrid mentioned.

"Yeah; she's a daddy's girl for sure," Hiccup replied. Hiccup lifted Runa up, spinning her around in a few circles and earning more laughing. Hiccup tossed her up and down in his arms, having a blast. The others ate and watched. It was about 8:40 am when they finished as Hiccup was still playing with Runa, having completely forgotten about his food. Though; it didn't appear he cared either. Hiccup set Runa back on the counter, playing patty-cake now. Runa smiled still but gave a big yawn. "Somebody's getting tired," Hiccup chuckled a little as he picked her up once more, keeping Runa on his right side while she held her head and body up without support from Hiccup. "Daddy loves you so much," Hiccup said to her.

"D-D…" Runa tried. Hiccup snuggled her as she reached for him again. "D-D..a..D-Da…" Runa continued as Hiccup's eyes widened a little. Babies were known for babbling with random sounds. Hiccup looked at her quickly; Runa's light blue eyes staring up at him as she lightly touched the side of his face. "D-Da...D-Da..Da. Dada," Runa managed to get out after a few tries. Hiccup's mouth dropped open, entirely floored. Runa was almost five months old, and she just called him Dada! Hiccup laughed out, holding Runa close to him. The man looked like he was about to cry, but wouldn't because he knew who was watching. Hiccup was super proud and happy; Runa said _Dada_ , which is her first word!


	15. One More Night

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

One More Night

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, October 16, 2021-8:45 am}**_

 _ **(Kitchen)**_

The kitchen was quiet as Hiccup stood where he was, entirely stunned at what just happened. His almost five-month-old daughter had tried several times and managed to say the distinct word; _Dada_. It was evident that Hiccup was not prepared for it because the guy couldn't believe his baby girl just spoke. Hiccup's eyes were on Runa, widened and he couldn't seem to find his own words now. Hiccup was just holding Runa in his arms, and it looked like he might cry. The seven others weren't sure. Astrid could tell that it had to be a little emotional; a baby's first word was always a big thing. First words and steps; Runa wouldn't be walking for a bit longer, but the talking thing. Yeah, that was pretty big for five-months-old. Runa laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder, but still awake. Hiccup finally snapped himself out of his shocked state and looked at Runa.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, Princess…" Hiccup breathed out, hugging Runa tightly. "Wanna call Mommy and tell her you just said your first word?" he asked as Runa yawned. "Well, maybe back to bed for you," he chuckled a little. "Frigga, call Liv,"

" **Calling** _ **Liv**_ **."** There were a couple of rings before a pickup happened.

" _Hiccup…It's nine in the morning…"_ Olivia complained.

"Exactly; you should be up already," Hiccup said.

" _Yeah…Well, I don't feel good right now,"_ Olivia mumbled.

"You were okay when we talked last night," Hiccup reminded.

" _Started around 4 am…Just woke up feeling nauseated, and threw up twice,"_ Olivia informed.

Hiccup blinked a little. "That…Sounds an awful lot like when you were pregnant with Runa,"

" _Yeah…I thought that too at first, and then at 6:15 am; I woke up with my period, so we're in the clear for that,"_ Olivia responded.

"Oh, thank Thor. Not that I would have minded another kid, just maybe after graduation…And Runa gets a little older," Hiccup stated.

" _And after your Army training, since you're doing that after High School,"_ Olivia giggled. _"Alright, I'm up. So what did you call for? Is Roo okay?"_

"She's perfect, and just said her first word," Hiccup said. Silence, and then a loud squeal of excitement.

" _Oh, my Gods! Did she really?! Don't even play, Hiccup!"_

Hiccup laughed. "I'm not kidding. I swear!"

" _What did she say?! And please tell me it's on camera!"_

"I'm sure the security footage has it, and she said Dada," Hiccup enlightened.

" _Can you get her to repeat it?"_

"I don't know. I'll try, but she's falling asleep on my shoulder," Hiccup fixed Runa in his arms again. "Come on, Princess…Say it for mommy. Dada," Hiccup attempted. Runa looked at him, then yawned again.

" _Hiccup, sing your song for her. That always makes her excited,"_ Olivia suggested.

"I'm gonna watch you shine. Gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign, so you'll always know…As long as one and one is two…There could never be a father loved his daughter more than I love you…" Hiccup sang as Runa instantly clapped her hands happily, giggling like before. _**(By the way, this little bit is from the chorus of Paul Simon's Father and Daughter song.)**_

" _I love that laugh,"_ Olivia said.

"D-Da…Da," Runa said.

"That's it; you got it. Dada…" Hiccup told her.

"Dada!" Runa repeated.

" _Oh, good girl!"_ Olivia cheered.

"You owe me $50, babe. She said Dada first!" Hiccup grinned.

" _Fuck you,"_ Olivia muttered.

"You did yesterday," Hiccup snickered.

" _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"_ Olivia scolded.

"Dude, your middle name is Horrendous?" Gruffnut tried not to laugh, so did the others.

"Shut up," Hiccup warned. "I swear to the Gods that I'm gonna fucking change my name and take that part out. Thanks for that, Liv…" he grumbled.

" _Sorry, baby. It slipped…I forgot they were there,"_ Olivia said quickly.

Astrid noticed right away that Hiccup looked less than amused about his middle name being said; it didn't sound like he liked it very much. And who would? In a way; she felt terrible. Her friends would surely give him a hard time over it. Runa yawned again, beginning to fall asleep in Hiccup's arms. It seemed Hiccup's whole mood changed, he wasn't even smiling anymore. It was supposed to be a good moment because Runa said her first word, and Olivia saying his middle name and alerting the others of what it was altered how happy Hiccup had been.

"Well, Runa is falling asleep. I'm gonna go put her to bed…I'll call you later, babe," Hiccup remarked.

" _Okay…I love you and Roo,"_ Olivia said quietly, guilt evident in her voice.

"Love you too," Hiccup replied. There was a click as Hiccup sighed. "You tell anyone what my middle name is…And you will regret it," he stated before walking away to take Runa upstairs via the elevator right off the kitchen. Astrid could tell her friends were already scheming to use this piece of information against Hiccup, and she knew it would be anything but good. Stoick warned once that Hiccup got his temper from him…So Astrid was actually concerned about what would happen if her boyfriend and friends set Hiccup off in anger. Truthfully, Astrid didn't want any part of it; Hiccup wasn't a bad guy. Smart and sarcastic, yes, but not anything that deserved all the abuse he took from Eret and the others. Right now, Astrid actually wanted to see if he was okay, but who knew what that would do. Eret got mad at her when she made Hiccup a coffee this morning. Astrid just sat there and stayed quiet.

 **. . .**

 _ **{10:20 am}**_

 _ **(Hiccup's Room)**_

Hiccup ended up trying to lay Runa down, and she wouldn't stay asleep, then cry again. Hiccup was tired, and Runa didn't appear to be out of his arms. The seven were back upstairs with him, sitting around on the bed Eret and Astrid were using; the group was watching TV on low volume as they could hear Hiccup trying to soothe Runa and get to stay down while in the nursery. At this point, Runa would be ready for another feeding if Hiccup didn't get her down for a nap soon. Her first one had been around 7 am, and it was almost 11 am now, which would be four hours.

Runa was just crying loudly, spitting out the binky, and nothing was really working. **"Dad Calling. Accept or Deny?"**

"Accept. Hiccup replied.

" _Hi, son. How's everything back home?"_ Stoick asked.

"Just peachy, Dad. The storm isn't letting up; I'm stuck here with seven people I don't exactly get along with, and in case you didn't hear already…Runa's having one of her days where nothing makes her happy…" Hiccup mumbled.

" _No one said parenting was easy,"_ Stoick chuckled. _"What seems to be the problem?"_

"If I knew that, she wouldn't still be crying!" Hiccup snapped, clearly frustrated. "She won't go to sleep, and she's been up since like 7 am,"

" _Sounds like overtiredness to me. Have you tried another bottle? Give her a four ounce, and see if that-,"_ Stoick was cut off.

" _Don't listen to your father, Hiccup. He used to think you always needed more food too, and then he'd overfeed you. I can't even begin to name off the times that you'd throw up on him because his solution was to give you another bottle,"_ Valka huffed. Hiccup chuckled a little. _"Runa is probably overtired, and that might be due to something else bothering her. Is she changed?"_

"Yeah, just did that at 10 am," Hiccup replied.

" _And she took all her food this morning at 7?"_ Valka inquired.

"I gave her a six-ounce, she took five. And kept it all down," Hiccup informed.

" _Have you tried burping her again?"_ Valka asked.

"Did that already," Hiccup sighed, still bouncing Runa in his arms.

" _No fever or anything?"_ Stoick questioned.

"No, Dad," Hiccup responded.

" _She's almost five months, right?"_ Gobber's voice came from the background. _"Lil lassie is probably cuttin' her first tooth,"_ Hiccup's eyes widened. _"I recall many years ago when Hiccup cried like that, and it was always because he was teething. Check the middle of her top and bottom gums; see if it's redder than usual,"_

Hiccup leaned Runa back a little and took a few tries to actually look. Sure enough, the bottom gum in the middle was showing a redder spot than the rest of the area. "It is,"

" _See, what did I say? Give Runa some of the infant Tylenol, lad. And maybe something cold she could suck on, like a clean and wet rag. Once the pain meds kick in, she'll probably knock out,"_ Gobber offered.

"Thanks, Uncle Gobber," Hiccup smiled as he moved into the Sitting Room to retrieve the cloth, wetting it with ice cold water, then wringing it out and letting Runa suck on it. It took a few shots, but eventually, the baby calmed. Hiccup went to get the pain reliever, sneaking that in without removing the rag.

" _Well, we'll leave you to it then. The storm might lighten up by tonight, but roads probably won't clear fully and be safe to drive on until tomorrow morning. We'll call you later. Love you!"_ Valka said.

"Love you guys too!" Hiccup called back, then the call ended as Hiccup relaxed on the bed and kept another bottle beside him. It was the assumption that Runa would likely feed again before going to sleep for a few hours. When the rag bit wore off around 10:50 am, Hiccup quickly replaced the object with the bottle. Thankfully, Runa too it without a problem. Halfway through, Hiccup got two burps out of her, then tried the bottle again. Runa took another ounce and a half, making it about four total before burping once, but then knocking out on Hiccup's shoulder. Carefully, Hiccup moved into the nursery and set her down, turning on the mobile over the crib, them slipping out quietly. Hiccup turned on the monitor, only hearing the music from the device, then he laid on his bed.

"You didn't think the reason was teething, did you?" Ragna asked.

"I'm sorry…Are you a baby expert all of a sudden?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes, irritated.

"Well, no…" Ragna began.

"I knew it was a possibility; I just didn't think it'd be so soon," Hiccup huffed, relaxing in his bed. Hiccup closed his eyes, arms behind his head, legs out and crossed over one another. No one really said anything after that, but by 11:20 am, they glanced back to see Hiccup fast asleep on his bed. Hiccup wasn't under his covers, but one arm was under his head against the pillow, and his hand rested on his stomach. Unfortunately, as much ball-breaking as they wanted to do; Hiccup had been up late with his daughter, then he didn't get to sleep until almost 3 am. More on that, Hiccup got up at 7 am to take care of Runa again, so they knew he was exhausted. And for once, decided not to give Hiccup a hard time as he was being exceptionally generous with allowing them to stay, providing beds, pillows, and blankets, food too.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:10 pm}**_

Hiccup slept from 11:15 am to 3:10 pm. Almost four hours that he basically napped while Runa was sleeping, and the populars were confident the only reason Hiccup woke up is because Runa began to cry on the baby monitor. Just like with the morning; Hiccup woke up slowly but made his way to the nursery to change and collect Runa for her afternoon feeding. However, Hiccup didn't look as tired as he did before and even though he said he didn't need to sleep; it was clear that he did or he wouldn't have knocked out for as long as he did. Hiccup came out of the room with Runa in his arms, then he moved to the Sitting Room/Library to make another bottle before returning to his bedroom and shaking it up. Hiccup set the bottle in place as Runa began to suck contently.

"Can one of you hold and feed her while I use the bathroom?" Hiccup asked. Astrid noticed that no one was really stepping forward to help the guy out, and she didn't think that was right given how much he'd done for them in the last twenty-four hours.

"I'll take her, Hiccup," Astrid offered.

"Thanks," Hiccup said, carefully handing Runa off, then Astrid took hold of the bottle as Hiccup backed up and entered the bathroom.

"I don't like how nice you're being to him," Eret muttered.

"Oh, stop it. The guy has to use the restroom; I'm not about to deny him a small request," Astrid rolled her eyes. "He's been pretty generous with us being here and being a good host even after what happened," she added, her eyes going back to Runa. Astrid watched as Runa went through almost half of her formula, and she knew Hiccup always stopped Runa for a burping. Astrid carefully removed the bottle and set the child on her shoulder to pat her back, rubbing it up and down. Hiccup came out just as Runa burped, and then spit up on Astrid.

"Shit…I'm sorry, Astrid…" Hiccup apologized, taking Runa from Astrid.

"It's…Fine, Hiccup. Seriously, I know babies spit up…Don't even worry about it," Astrid waved it off.

"Astrid, it's all over your shoulder, and in your hair…Here…" Hiccup handed her the burp cloth to wipe up with, then went to his dresser drawer and pulled out blue, long-sleeve shirt. "Use the shower in the bathroom. You can put back on your pants and stuff, and one of my shirts until yours is washed,"

"Hiccup, it's okay…Really…" Astrid insisted.

"It will start to smell as it dries," Hiccup sighed. Yeah, Astrid didn't want to deal with that, and she was sure her friends and boyfriend wouldn't either. Astrid got up, accepting the shirt from Hiccup, then she went into the bathroom. About two minutes later, after closing the door; it opened again.

"Hiccup…How in the name of Thor do you work your shower…?" Astrid asked. Hiccup chuckled as he moved into the room as Astrid hadn't changed yet, then showed her how to use the handles. "Got it, thanks," Hiccup nodded and left to continue feeding Runa.

 **. . .**

Ten minutes later, Astrid came out wearing her jeans, socks, and Hiccup's shirt, which actually reached past her rear end and almost to her knees. The shirt was baggy on Astrid, but it worked nevertheless. Hiccup took the shirt and towel from her, then left the room. Five minutes passed; Hiccup returned.

"I'll make dinner early; I'm sure you're all hungry since I knocked out for a bit," Hiccup said.

"Your cook came up to ask what you wanted for lunch, and we said you were sleeping. Don't worry; he fed us," Astrid informed.

"Oh, good! Then I'll just do dinner around 4:30 or so," Hiccup nodded, then checked the storm outside his windows. "Looks better than before," he stated.

"Still not going home tonight, though, are we?" Camicazi asked.

"Likely not," Hiccup shook his head as he put Runa in her walker, then went to sit at his computer. Hiccup powered the device on, waiting for it to load up. Hiccup logged in, seeing the background of the day Runa was born. Olivia looked exhausted, Hiccup next to her, the both of them smiling with Runa between them. Hiccup only smiled.

"Is that…The day Runa was born?" Astrid inquired.

"Yeah…Crazy day, but a good end," Hiccup replied.

"You ran out of the school pretty fast," Eret reminded.

"Well, how fast would you move when you found out the mother of your child was in labor, and alone at that?" Hiccup asked.

"Heh, wouldn't happen. I'm a lot more careful than you are," Eret remarked.

"That wasn't exactly the question, but I expected that type of answer nevertheless," Hiccup rolled his eyes, opening up a program, clicking a few more things, then let the music start playing. Soon it was recognized as a Saxophone version of My Heart Will Go On. Titanic was a favorite movie among the girls in the room, and the guys just scoffed, ignoring it.

"My Gods, that is beautiful…Hiccup, where did you find this?" Camicazi asked quickly.

Hiccup faced them instantly, arching a brow. "Find it? I didn't. I made this like actually played it. That's me playing…" Hiccup informed as their eyes widened.

"No way…" Ragna accused. Hiccup gave a bored look as he opened something else, a video, which played the same song only Hiccup was in the video with his Saxophone. Hiccup chuckled, seeing their shocked faces. Hiccup moved to the closet near the fireplace, pulling a large blue, rectangular box off the top shelf. Hiccup set it on the window seat, then opened it up revealing the same golden-appearing saxophone.

"Where did you learn to play?" Camicazi inquired.

Hiccup smiled a little, but Astrid could see a little sadness playing behind Hiccup's green eyes as he admired the saxophone in his hands. "It was my grandfather's horn. I took up music with him and learned how to play. When my grandmother passed, he was right behind her a few days later; I guess he couldn't live without her. That's what mom says anyway. So, at their funeral…Because my grandfather never got to see me play a full song, and My Heart Will Go On was my grandmother's favorite…I played this, with that song for them. What you heard was from that day. I was probably thirteen or so," he explained.

"Do you still play it?" Astrid wondered.

"Once a year, on the anniversary of their funerals," Hiccup responded. The next thing no one expected was for another set of music to start playing with a slideshow of pictures involving Olivia and Hiccup, when they met, learning about the baby, through the pregnancy, the birth, more recent photos. The music was just a light guitar at first, and the others cast a glance to Hiccup, who had a far off, distant look in his eyes.

" _So lately, been wondering. Who will be there to take my place? When I'm gone; you'll need love, to light the shadows on your face. If a greater wave shall fall, yeah, fall upon us all. Then between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?"_ Hiccup began singing, which surprised the others. The tune playing didn't have lyrics, so did Hiccup write it? _"Yeah, if I could, then I would; I'll go wherever you will go. Way up high, or down low. I'll go wherever you will go!"_

" _And maybe I'll find out, a way to make it back someday. To watch you. To guide you, through the darkest of your days. If a greater wave shall fall, yeah, fall upon us all! Well, I hope there's someone out there, who can bring me back to you!"_ Hiccup continued with passion. It seemed he really enjoyed singing, and he was good too. At least in Astrid's opinion Hiccup was. _"Yeah, if I could, then I would; I'll go wherever you will go. Way up high, or down low. I'll go wherever you will go!"_ a brief pause as Hiccup caught his breath, but his voice never faltered. _"Runaway with my heart. Runaway with my hope. Runaway with my love…"_

The music fell soft as Hiccup closed his eyes, almost refusing to look at the computer, but he did pick up Runa, who began fussing a little. Once in her father's arms; she laid her head on his shoulder. _"I know now, just quite how. My life and love might still go on. In your heart…In your mind…I'll stay with you, for all of time! If I could, then I would; I'll go wherever you will go! Way up high, or down low…I'll go wherever you will go. If I could turn back time. I'll go wherever you will go. If I could make you mine. I'll go wherever you will go! I'll go wherever you will go…"_ Hiccup pressed the spacebar, quickly stopping the slideshow on a picture of him and Olivia kissing with Runa on his shoulder.

"Dada…" Runa said, almost sadly too. Hiccup held her tightly, then closed down the programs, and locking the computer before going to the nursery, and closing the door behind him. After that, the seven in the room couldn't hear anything. And remembered that Hiccup said the nursery was soundproof, no sounds in or out.

"Well, that was…" Thuggory trailed off.

"Weird." Eret retorted. "Who cares? One more night here, and we're gone tomorrow morning. Thank God…" the others nodded, agreeing with him almost. Astrid, though; she felt differently. There was something about that whole scene that didn't feel right to her, but she knew Hiccup wouldn't tell her if something was bothering him. Astrid knew her boyfriend was right; tomorrow, they were leaving. Hiccup wouldn't want them there any longer than they already had been. It was just one more night there, then everything would go back to normal come Monday morning at school.


	16. The News Report

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The News Report

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, November 9, 2021-12:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory Cafeteria)**_

It's been about three weeks since that blizzard; the one where my friends and I got stuck at Hiccup's house for two days. I couldn't say they were terrible; Hiccup was a very generous host when we didn't deserve his kindness. Hiccup helped us understand more of the dragons in Boulder Class since we had all of Saturday night while he was either making dinner, sitting around, or caring for Runa. Hiccup had his friends on Skype to learn with us that way they wouldn't be behind upon returning to school Monday morning the 18th of October. Boulder Class only has twelve dragons in it, and in the time we had with Hiccup to learn more; we covered about five of them through the night and to Sunday morning when we were released to leave his house when the driving and flying ban got lifted. This happened around 10:45 am on Sunday the 17th. Hiccup had our cars brought out of the Motor Court, then we thanked him for his forced hospitality, and left Haddock Manor. My friends couldn't have been more grateful to go, but my mind was still on what happened Saturday afternoon.

By accident, Hiccup let a slideshow play of pictures between Olivia, Runa, and himself while singing a fascinating song that I'd never heard before. From what I gathered about the lyrics; it was a song about how someone goes on with life if the other were to leave. And that the person left behind was willing to do anything to get back what was lost. I didn't understand why such a song would play for what appeared to be a very happy and stable relationship between the three who were shown on the video. I suppose I shouldn't worry about it because it's none of my business. However, something that didn't seem right to me was that Hiccup had been absent from school since Wednesday of last week. During Dragon Training on Wednesday, November 3rd, Hiccup got a phone call and left on Stormfly instantly afterward. Dagur took over, and Hiccup's friends didn't seem all that curious about why their _leader_ took off without a word as to why.

Hiccup missed yesterday, but he appeared to be here today. I saw him in Language Arts for the Second Period. Gruffnut said that Hiccup wasn't in First Period History. I guess Hiccup must have had a doctor's appointment for himself, or possibly Runa. Hiccup didn't appear to look very happy; his eyes were distant, and it seemed like he wasn't paying attention through LA or Health, which were two classes we shared. However, if the teacher called on Hiccup; he knew precisely where the lesson was and could answer. Now we're in lunch, and once again; I'm seeing Hiccup looking miserable because he's not joining in on the talking or laughing with his friends. Hiccup just sat in his chair silently eating.

"I wonder what's got him so quiet," Thuggory stated, bringing my attention back to my friends who were talking.

"Who cares?" Gruffnut shrugged.

"You don't think it's a little odd that Hiccup just took off last Wednesday, missed Thursday, Friday, Monday, and the first period today?" Ragna looked at us.

"Oh, my Gods…One weekend at the loser's place and you all want to know more about his life when we agreed weeks ago that we wanted nothing to do with him," I rolled my eyes. I know I shouldn't call Hiccup a loser, but did we have to talk about him?

"We're nosy, babe," Eret chuckled. "Come on…Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Perhaps, but it's not like he'll tell us about whatever happened," I sighed, going back to eating a bite of my salad.

"You go ask him," Camicazi suggested.

"Excuse me?" I blinked.

"Go ask Hiccup why he left last week and was out. He'll probably tell you," Ragna urged. I highly doubted it, but if it got them to shut up, then fine. I turned around in my chair and looked at Hiccup.

"Hey, Hiccup," I said as he glanced up at me. "What happened last week?"

"None of your business," Hiccup responded coldly. Okay, wow. I've never heard him take such a tone before, and I've known this guy for years.

"Well, you're or Dragon Training teacher, and kind of just bailed mid-lesson," I reminded.

"Family emergency now lay off," Hiccup huffed, arms crossed over one another.

"Did something happen to your parents, uncle, or Runa?" Camicazi tried.

"I said it was none of your damn business, now fuck off and leave me alone," Hiccup remarked.

"Yo, not cool, Hic," Gruffnut stated.

"It's Hiccup, not _Hic_ , Gruffnut. You don't have the right to use a nickname my friends gave me," Hiccup retorted.

"Awe, come on…We're all friends now, aren't we?" Thuggory shrugged casually.

"No. No, we're not," Hiccup responded. "You spent two days at my house because of a storm and were only there to apologize, forced by your parents because your jealousy made you piss off a Monstrous Nightmare that I got hurt calming down to protect you,"

"You said you forgave us…" I mentioned softly.

"That doesn't mean I've forgotten…" Hiccup huffed angrily. "We are not friends, and we likely never will be because of the way you all base your friendships, which is on money and who has a lot of it," he added, eyes closed. "My friends can call me Hic, none of you can,"

"Psh…Maybe we should just call him Horrendous," Ragna smirked.

"Yeah, that's part of your real name, isn't it?" Gruffnut teased. Hiccup only rolled his eyes, apparently not in the mood for these childish antics.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, wasn't it? That's what Olivia called you," Eret continued. Hiccup tensed a little at the mention of Olivia's name.

"Hey, leave my cousin alone, alright?" Snotlout remarked now.

"No one was talking to you," Thuggory shot back.

"And Hiccup said it wasn't any of your business why he was out," Heather huffed. "It was personal, so leave it alone," she added.

"Well, he looks miserable…So maybe he lost everything? No place to go. Wonder what happens now that Haddock Manor, or Berkian Estates as everyone know it is up for grabs…" Thuggory grinned. Hiccup's brows twitched, and I could tell he was getting ticked off. Hiccup told us not to say anything about where he lived. The people around us got quieter, beginning to whisper about Hiccup having resided at Berkian Estates.

"Maybe his girlfriend realized what a loser she was with and left him?" Gruffnut joked. Hiccup clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking for the force.

"Shut up," Hiccup said.

"G-Guys…Stop…" I tried. I've never seen Hiccup actually get mad, but it looks like he was now. "I doubt Olivia would leave Hiccup when they have a baby together," I said. Only I think I made it worse because now, everyone was whispering about Hiccup having a child. People were talking about that; Hiccup's eyes were closed, showing that he was annoyed, though.

"Pfft! Yeah…Right, Astrid. I don't even think that baby is his, bet you Olivia cheated on him and didn't have the heart to say the baby wasn't his. Come on, the kid doesn't even look like Hiccup," Camicazi snickered with the others. My eyes glanced at Hiccup, seeing him start shaking a little.

"Hiccup has auburn hair and green eyes. Olivia has blue eyes and black hair. If Runa were their child, they would have some of the same traits, and Runa doesn't look anything like Hiccup. The kid has wicked light brown hair and hazel eyes, definitely seem more on the brown side, though," Ragna pointed out.

"Leave my daughter out of this," Hiccup warned. I could see it; he was trying to control his anger, something we knew he got from his father. Stoick Haddock was a scary individual when mad, and I didn't want to find out what happened if Hiccup flipped his lid.

"Bet you Runa isn't Hiccup's, but Olivia won't tell Hiccup the truth and lets him take care of Runa so she can go off and fuck her baby daddy," Thuggory laughed.

"Olivia probably realized what a loser Hiccup is, left him and took the baby with her," Eret said, getting up and moving near Hiccup now.

"Eret! Get over here," I demanded.

"Is that what happened, _Hic_? Your girl left with the kid you thought was yours? Did you find out Runa isn't your baby, that Olivia's a horny little slut who li-," Eret never finished because Hiccup got up, drew his fist back and punched Eret right in the face. The room fell utterly silent as Eret fell back on his ass, and took a minute to recover. As Eret sat up, I saw that his nose had begun to bleed. Hiccup stood over him, an unmistakable glare of fury in his green eyes. "Why you-," Eret started.

"Shut the fuck up!" Hiccup yelled. I bit back. My friends were aiming to piss Hiccup off, and I didn't think they were prepared for the outcome if they'd managed to succeed. "For all the shit you've given me over the years, Eret; you fucking had that coming to you. Gods, I've been dying to put you on your ass since the eighth grade! I'm typically not someone who resorts to violence to solve my problems, but goddamn it…You just don't know when to fucking quit. I warned you and them twice to zip it, and you refused to listen. I feel me punching you was totally justified, and if I get in trouble for it, then whatever. I don't care anymore; I've fucking had it with the bullshit you and your friends give me and mine day in and day out!"

"Who the hell do you think you are to say anything about my life when up until the start of frigging October; you knew nothing about it! You labeled me a third-class citizen when Lord knows I have the same if not more than you and your little group of bitches and assholes!" Hiccup continued. "You're just fucking jealous that my family owns Berkian Estates and has for CENTURIES!" he went on. "And how dare you bring my daughter into this! Yeah, maybe Runa doesn't look like me, but not every child has to resemble their parents you fucking dickhead. You look nothing like your mother. Astrid looks nothing like her father. Who cares! Looking like doesn't change who your parents are. Are you fucking retarded or something? I was there for and definitely a part of Runa's conception, I went to all the appointments, and I was there when my little girl was born! It's my name that sits on that birth certificate in the place of dad. I am her fucking father, and Odin knows I will go to the ends of this Earth to protect her. You keep my daughter out of your mouth!"

"I knew I'd regret forgiving the lot of you, and I should have thrown your asses out in that blizzard as payback for trying to get me killed over jealous and pitiful anger that I wouldn't join your stupid group! Why would I ditch my real friends for fake ones like you? Why would I associate myself with three snobby, bitches and four overprivileged assholes who do nothing but bully others for their own amusement? Because secretly, they hate their own fucking lives, and Gods know it wouldn't be right if some people were actually happy, so you make them miserable like you are," Hiccup accused.

"That's not tr-," I got up now, standing between Hiccup and Eret.

"You better back the fuck up, Astrid," Hiccup warned as I nervously stood my ground. "You know something; it's pretty funny how fast you changed in Middle School," I stared at him not understanding. "Heh, so you really don't remember, do you?"

"Re-Remember…what?" I asked. "I haven't changed…"

"Oh, yeah…Never changed. What a load of shit…Gods, it's infuriating. And sad, Astrid. Really frigging sad actually. I don't know whats worse…That you don't remember, or that you changed and turned into such a conniving little bitch after daddy got made the mayor job and dropped every good quality you ever had. You let the money go to your head, hair, skin, nails…You forgot everything about who you are, or used to be. You let these pricks get in your head, and you decided that you couldn't hang with losers anymore. I'm disgusted and ashamed to have ever called you my best friend," Hiccup said as my eyes widened.

"I-I don't…I was…" I began, unsure of how to respond.

Hiccup began again, cutting me off. However, I felt like he was about to be in a lot of trouble because Headmaster Meatsen was coming into the room. "But you know something, whatever. You do you, Astrid. I'm not worried about it because I know that Karma comes around, and I can't wait to see what it has in store for all of you who have wronged others. I don't care what you do to or say about me, but don't you ever bring Olivia or Runa into it again, or so help me, Odin…You will regret the day you ever met me…" he pointed his finger in my face as I flinched with every word he emphasized. And with that said, Hiccup turned to see Mogadon Meatsen. Hiccup's hateful, almost hurt look never faded. "I know; I'm in trouble, so I'll just report myself to your office," he walked by him without another word.

Thuggory moved over to Eret to help him up. "Man, what the hell crawled up his ass?" Gruffnut remarked.

"As he began with; it's none of your business…But I can tell all seven of you that you went too far this time," Snotlout stated calmly, then turned to finish lunch with his friends and leaving the seven of us to wonder what he meant by we went too far.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Saturday, November 13, 2021-11:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Home of Eret Trapp)**_

Hiccup ended up with three days of detention for punching Eret and swearing as much as he did. These past three days since the incident in the cafeteria; I haven't been able to stop thinking about what Hiccup said to me in his fury. That I changed during Middle School? That I turned into a bitch? He and I used to be best friends? Why couldn't I remember any of that? Sure, my dad won Mayorship during my fifth-grade year, and he has every year since. But when did I change? I didn't. I've always been this way. Hiccup didn't know what he was talking about. And once more, my friends were my real ones. Eret loved me, and my friends were genuine. I knew they'd have my back if something happened. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going down soon because Hiccup said Karma would come back around to get my friends and me for all the trouble we've caused to others.

Right now, I'm at Eret's for a party. My parents think I'm at home, in bed, sleeping because I put myself to bed at 8:30, using the excuse that I didn't feel well and wanted to get a good night's sleep. At 9 pm, I snuck out and was picked up a block down the street by Ragna. We didn't live far from one another anyway, Eret and me at least. It was a fifteen-minute walk at best, but Ragna lived farther, so she offered to come get me on her way there. I guess Eret's parents were going away on vacation for a week, and their plane didn't leave until 10 pm, so he waited until nine to throw the party, which worked for everyone sneaking out after their parents thought they were in bed.

Eret and I started our night by having sex before everyone showed up. After that, it was a late night pizza delivery, chips, soda, maybe a little alcohol, but I didn't drink any. My parents knew I was out because they'd been trying to message me, but I didn't open the text, so it didn't show I had read it. Right now, I'm sitting on Eret's lap with the TV on, music playing, and life was good.

"So, I'll address the dragon in the room…What do you think Snotlout meant on Tuesday when he said we went too far?" Gruffnut asked.

"Who knows?" Camicazi shrugged as she was on Thuggory's lap and he was feeling up and down her thighs and sides.

"It was kind of weird to actually see him get mad. We've been trying to get him pissed off enough to do something where he'd get into trouble for years, and talking about Olivia and Runa is the one that set him off?" Nadia shrugged.

"In fairness…He warned you guys to stop," Thuggory mentioned. "But I do agree with you," he added.

"What's your take on it, Astrid?" Eret asked.

"Honestly, we never knew about where he lived, his middle name, that he has a girlfriend of two years, and five-month-old daughter before the beginning of October. So it stands to reason that maybe anything else we did, such as calling him a loser, and know-it-all…Whatever it was, didn't bother him because he's known all along he has what he does. He knew everything we said about him wasn't true, maybe making fun of things he knew were accurate was enough to set him off. But accusing Olivia of cheating, or that Runa wasn't his…things he knows are lies…I guess that was all it took," I shrugged, unsure. Hiccup's words were still racing through my mind.

"Hiccup said family emergency was the cause of him leaving, so maybe something happened to Runa?" Ragna theorized.

"It's possible. Either way; I think it might be best to back off him for a while," I suggested. "Just until this blows over, and he looks less annoyed,"

"We'll see how it is on Monday," Eret huffed.

" **We interrupt this show to bring you an exclusive news report. We go live now to the home of the Mayor."**

Instantly, I reached for Eret's surround sound remote, then turned off the music before turning up the TV as the scene changed to reveal my parent's home with police cars, an ambulance or two, and…firetrucks? What was going on? I felt my heart racing in my chest as my eyes were glued to the screen. A reporter stood off to the side holding her microphone.

" **I'm here at the home of Mayor Colden Hofferson where I just received word that an out of control fire has broken out only ten minutes ago according to rescue crews. Firefighters work to put out the flames, but all we know for the time being is that the mayor's family is still trapped inside on the second level,"**

I rushed off of Eret's lap, grabbing my phone and purse, then hurrying out the door. I didn't care about anything else right now. My parents were trapped inside of our home, which is on fire. And I only knew because of a news report. I needed to get home, and make sure my parents were okay! That's all that mattered to me.


	17. Arrangements

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Arrangements

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, November 13, 2021-12:05 am}**_

 _ **(Hofferson Residence)**_

I don't think I'd ever run so far or fast in my entire life, but I got home and struggled with the scene before me. Cops, the ambulances, firetrucks; just as I'd seen on TV only fifteen minutes ago. That's how long it took me to get here. I made hard breaths, then began working my way through the crowd to get forward.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon me…" I kept saying as I shoved my way to the front. I was stopped by an officer. "Let me through!" I begged.

"I'm sorry, Miss. You need to stay back," the officer informed.

"N-No! You don't understand…Please, I need to go through," I tried.

"It's not safe, Miss. You need to remain here, no one needs to get hu-, he started.

"That's my house! My parents are in there!" I enlightened with worry.

The officer looked at me, surprised. "A-Are you the mayor's daughter?" the man asked. I nodded my head quickly, concern in my eyes. "Chief, I got Astrid Hofferson with me," he said into his radio. I glared and stomped on the man's foot, getting out of his arms and hurrying forward. I saw Spitelout and Alvin right away, plus others.

"Ch-Chief Jorgenson! What happened? Please, tell me. Where are my parents? Are they okay?!" I demanded quickly, trying to locate my parents. "MOM! DAD!" I shouted for them. Obviously no response. I felt my phone vibrate seconds later and cast a quick glance at the screen.

 **Dad[12:11 am]  
** _ **We're glad you're okay, sweetheart. Everything is going to be alright.**_

I felt tears pricking my eyes as I quickly typed back a response.

 _You[12:11 am]  
I'll never sneak out again. I'm so sorry! Rescuers will get you out. I love you both so much!_

A minute later, another reply came through as the tears that formed began slipping as I read it.

 **Dad[12:12 am]  
** _ **We're not upset you snuck out; it means you're safe out there, and that's all that matters to us. We love you more than anything else in this world, Astrid. -Dad & Mom**_

Without warning, I was being held by a fireman as if to be shielded. And then there was an explosion. I felt my heart skip a beat as my eyes widened.

"Get these flames out!" the fire chief demanded. I quickly ripped away from the fireman and stared in horror at the damage done, and that the fire was still burning strong. Oh, Gods! My parents! Tears again falling, I sent a message to my dad.

 _You[12:14 am]  
Are you both okay?!_

No reply. I tried again.

 _You[12:14 am]  
Answer me, please?!_

Once more. Nothing. Ignoring my phone now, I faced the house.

"MOM! DAD!" I yelled out wanting to get closer, but Alvin stopped me. "MAMA! DADDY!" No. This couldn't be happening. Why weren't they answering!? I didn't know what to do; I was shaking with fear, panting, and just praying to the Gods my parents weren't seriously hurt.

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:06 am}**_

Firefighters worked nonstop to put out the flames of the raging fire after the explosion occurred. Finally, it was out, and waiting for the all clear to go inside. I never left where I was, and Alvin at some point put a blanket around me because it was November and freezing outside. My eyes never left the house, praying and hoping that my parents were okay, and maybe just knocked out. I never got a response in texts. I also never replied to my friends.

"Fire out," I heard the fire chief call. I quickly tensed, standing now instead of leaning against the police cruiser as I had been. I knew while firefighters had been putting out the blaze, there would be nothing I could do except stay out of the way. But now…Rescuers were in the house to get my parents out. Everything would be fine…Just like Dad promised. Seconds turned to minutes, and maybe longer. I never saw anyone come out, but the fire chief approached me.

"Astrid Hofferson?" the man asked.

"Y-Yes…That's me…" I nodded nervously. "Are my parents okay? Where are they?" I asked quickly.

The male's face changed to sadness and sympathy. I got a knot in my stomach. "I got this, Andy," Spitelout put his hand on the man's shoulder as he walked away and I faced Spitelout now. "Astrid, I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you," he said.

"Then tell me! My parents got hurt in the explosion, a-and on their way to the hospital? A-Are you going to be taking me? If not, I c-can take my-," I rambled quickly.

Spitelout put his hands on my shoulders, looking sad just as the fire chief had. "Astrid, your parents' bodies were found inside the home on the second floor in the master bedroom," Spitelout began gravely. My body had started shaking again. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Your parents didn't survive,"

"N-No. That's…Not right. I-They…messaged me an hour ago…And said everything was going to be al-," I tried to process what I'd been told.

"Astrid…Your parents are gone. Mayor Colden Hofferson, and his wife, Alva, died in the fire," Spitelout said grimly now. My heart felt like it stopped, and my body refused to move. Tears began falling from my eyes. My parents were dead? Both of them…? No, it wasn't right. Dad promised that everything would be alright! I pulled away from Spitelout, looking around quickly and running past him and the firetrucks to see two body bags on the ground. I stepped closer, hesitantly and was able to see my mother and father. The two were lying motionless, lifeless there. Before I could get any closer, Alvin and Spitelout stopped me. I struggled to get free, but couldn't against the large men holding me back. I paramedics zip up the bags, and I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I began breathing rapidly, and then everything blurred and went black.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Sunday, November 14, 2021-5:30 am}**_

 _ **(Berk Isle General Hospital)**_

Astrid awoke to the sounds of beeping around her. Opening her eyes slowly, she quickly realized she was in the hospital.

 _Why am I here?_ Astrid thought. _What happened?_ She wondered. Astrid looked at herself, still in the clothes she wore from the party. But that had been at night, and the sun was just beginning to rise. Astrid shifted a little, trying to sit up in the hospital bed. Astrid grabbed her phone off the bedside table, opening it up to see tons of messages from her boyfriend and friends, all wondering what happened.

 **My Boyfriend[12:20 am]  
** _ **Babe, u ok? Saw the explosion on TV.**_

 _What explosion?_ Astrid asked herself.

 **Cami[12:23 am]  
** _ **Ast! Girl, what's goin on?**_

 **Nadia[12:24 am]  
** _ **Ur folks okay from the fire?**_

 **Gruff[12:26 am]  
** _ **Dudette, Msg us bak!**_

 **Ragna[12:31 am]  
** _ **Gurl, this isn't cool. R u okay?!**_

 **My Boyfriend[12:32 am]  
** _ **Baby girl, I'm worried 'bout u! Plz, answer?**_

 **Thug[12:37 am]  
** _ **Yo, we heard the fire is out of control. Update, Ast?**_

 **Nadia[12:40 am]  
** _ **Hey, news stopped giving reports. Chief had them cut cameras. Answer us, Ast!**_

There were missed calls and voicemails too, all of them saying the same thing. Worried for her and wanting to know what happened. Astrid didn't even know! Explosion? Fire? Her parents? Astrid didn't understand, and she felt like she needed to?

 _Was there a fire? Did I get hurt in it?_ Astrid questioned. Astrid tried to recall what happened, but there was nothing but blurred images and a nagging feeling of pain. Astrid figured she was in the Emergency Room, a bay in the hospital for emergencies, but nothing major. More like a quick-fix place. Astrid continued checkingover messages, hoping it would give her any clue to jog her memory.

 **Cami[12:43 am]  
** _ **Ast! Come on; we're freaking out over here!**_

 **Ragna[12:48 am]  
** _ **Should we come over?**_

 **Thug[12:52 am]  
** _ **Astrid, seriously! We're worried. Just answer, anything, so we know you're okay!**_

 **Nadia[12:56 am]  
** _ **We've heard that the fire is out; is everything alright?**_

 **Gruff[1:05 am]  
** _ **U good? Ur parents good? Give us something…**_

 **Eret[1:17 am]  
** _ **Babe, 4 the luv of Thor…Call me! I'm srsly scared if ur ok or not!**_

That seemed to be the last message, followed by more missed calls and voicemails. Astrid wouldn't check them right now; she figured they all had to be the same thing as texts.

"Do you think she's awake yet?" came a female's voice.

"I don't know. Doctor said trauma could be a factor; that Astrid blocks out what happened because of how painful it is," responded a male. Astrid saw shadowed figures outside the curtain to her area.

"The poor girl…She must be heartbroken," Astrid heard a female voice say.

"I told her what happened, and she ran to them, but I guess seeing it…I don't know she just passed out. My only thought was that it was too much to handle," replied a male, but Astrid knew that voice; it was Spitelout Jorgenson's.

"You did the right thing to bring her here, Spitelout…The girl lost her parents, and probably her home because of the damage all at once," the female said. Astrid's eyes widened.

 _Lost her parents and home from the damage?_ Astrid inquired silently. _Had the fire and explosion been at…My house? Are my…Parents dead? No. No, that couldn't be right!_ "Mom?...Dad?" Astrid said looking around quickly. Nothing. However, it did get the curtain to move and reveal Spitelout there with another woman, then a nurse. "Mom! Dad!" she tried again. No answer.

"Sweetheart, please…" the woman beside Spitelout tried with her hands up. Astrid vigorously shook in the bed, trying to get free.

"MAMA! DADDY! Where are you!?" Astrid panicked, then stopped, breathing hard again. Suddenly, everything came forward. Astrid saw herself at Eret's, then the news report about the fire breaking out at her house, finally arriving, the explosion, and seeing their dead bodies just as the paramedics zipped the bags. Tears were streaming down her face as the woman beside Spitelout rushed forward to embrace Astrid gently.

"Ssh…Ssh, sweetie…" the female tried to soothe. Astrid could only sob loudly against the woman, not caring who she was. Astrid just wanted to be held and cry. Her parents were dead, and that broke her heart.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7 am}**_

It took hours for Astrid to calm down in the arms of Spitelout Jorgenson's wife, Frida Jorgenson as Astrid learned she was when Spitelout told the nurse who the woman with him was. Astrid knew that it couldn't be just a joke that her parents were playing on her as punishment for her sneaking out. Astrid had found the last text messages between her and her folks, which only brought on more tears. Nothing in the world could hurt this much except realizing that you've lost your home and parents at the same time. And Astrid still didn't even know what was going to happen next; she wasn't prepared for something like this to happen. There was no preparing to lose both of your parents and your house in one night.

Frida handed Astrid a couple of tissues to blow her nose and wipe away tears; the woman remained sitting on the edge of Astrid's bed to comfort her. Spitelout was by the window, looking outside of it with his hands behind his back. Frida rubbed Astrid's back, trying to calm her.

"S-So they're really gone?" Astrid managed, coughing and sniffling a little.

"Sadly, I'm afraid so," Spitelout turned to face her.

"Wa-Was it the explosion?" Astrid tried, feeling like she needed to know more.

"We're not sure at this time, Astrid. I'm having the fire department and my officers run a thorough investigation into the matter of the fire, and how your parents died. I promise that as soon as I hear something; you will too," Spitelout informed. Astrid looked down, nodding.

"Is there…Anyone we can call for you dear?" Frida asked.

"Aunt, uncle, grandparents perhaps?" Spitelout followed the question up.

"No…I-I don't have anyone left in my family…I-I'm the last of the Hofferson Clan…" Astrid began to tear up again but tried hard not to break down once more. _Who could I call for me?...My friends and boyfriend wanted to know what was up? I guess I could use that comfort right now…_ Astrid thought. "C-Could you…Call my boyfriend?" I got my phone and pulled up his number.

"It's…Eret Trapp, right?" Spitelout eyed Astrid, and she nodded. "I'll dial him. Frida, will you stay with Astrid?" Spitelout inquired. His wife nodded as Spitelout stepped out. Astrid put her head down as Frida continued to hold her, hoping it might be helping, even if just a little.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:45 am}**_

Eret rushed past the curtain to see Astrid on the bed in Frida's arms, and he hurried to take the other side. Astrid quickly hugged her boyfriend, crying lightly.

"You came…" Astrid whimpered.

"Of course…And the others are here too. We all stayed at my house after you left…" Eret informed gently, releasing from the hug and revealing the others who were coming in. Spitelout motioned for his wife to step out.

"I won't be far, Astrid," Spitelout told her. Astrid nodded, accepting the hugs from Camicazi, Nadia, and Ragna. Gruffnut and Thuggory did the same.

"What happened? The Chief just asked me to come down because you wanted me here," Eret said.

Astrid sniffled a few times, looking down. "M-My parents…They're dead," A round of gasps filled the room, shock falling about the news.

"Oh, my Gods!" Nadia exclaimed.

"Astrid…Honey…Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Camicazi hugged Astrid again.

"I-I just woke up a few hours ago…A-And after I realized what happened; I broke down on Snotlout's mom…" Astrid replied quietly.

"What do you mean, _woke up_?" Thuggory asked.

"I-I guess after Spitelout told me my folks were gone…I ran away from him, a-and found my parents in the body bags. I passed out, and he brought me here…I was out until about 5:30 this morning. I couldn't remember what happened until I heard Spitelout and his wife talking outside the curtain…" Astrid informed slowly, still looking down. Eret hugged Astrid, kissing her cheek.

"Everything will be okay; we're here for you," Ragna offered.

"Yes, absolutely. If you need anything; you let us know!" Nadia added with a nod.

"How much damage is there to your house?" Gruffnut asked.

"Not sure, but I know it's bad…Frida, Snotlout's mom, said; _losing your parents and home due to damage at the same time_ , so I feel like it's destroyed…" Astrid closed her eyes.

"The insurance will probably cover it, or just give you the payout for what was lost," Eret stated.

"And you'll get whatever they left for you in the will. You're their only child, so they likely left it all to you," Thuggory mentioned. Astrid just nodded, assuming that would be what probably happened.

"Until all that comes through, I might just need a place to stay…" Astrid sighed.

"You got me, Ragna, and Nadia to help with that," Camicazi smiled, putting her hand on Astrid's.

"Or me," Eret offered.

"Thank you," Astrid said, her voice betraying her and beginning to crack again. Eret embraced her lovingly as she buried her face against his chest. Twenty minutes went by, then the curtain opened as a nurse walked in, then surprisingly, Hiccup Haddock did too. And in his arms was little Runa.

"What are you doing here?" Gruffnut asked.

"Here with dad; he's talking to Uncle Spitelout about a few things," Hiccup responded.

"That doesn't tell us why you came?" Nadia mentioned.

"And I see you've still failed to stay out of matters that don't concern you," Hiccup remarked, then his attention turned on Astrid. "However, it does have to do with you," he added.

"M-Me? What does you being here have to do with me?" Astrid inquired, shocked.

"My dad is the Hofferson Family lawyer, and one of your father's best friends. Spitelout, Gobber, Colden, Alvin grew up together. Spitelout contacted dad this morning, and let us know what happened, so my father is here to help you handle the arrangements, then the will and what not," Hiccup explained.

"O-Oh," Astrid replied. "That still doesn't say why you came?"

"Dad asked me to drive him since mom is working," Hiccup shrugged as he adjusted Runa in his arms.

"Aren't you going to apologize to me?" Eret snarked with a huff.

"Nope," Hiccup replied.

"You punched me," Eret said.

"You deserved it," Hiccup responded calmly. "And if you were smart; you'd avoid getting punched in the nose again by keeping it out of my business," he added.

"Eret…Don't fight with him…Please? I don't need that right now…" Astrid pleaded. Eret just went back to hugging Astrid as the nurse took began to unhook the monitors. Spitelout and Stoick walked in showing saddened, sensitive eyes.

"Hi, lass. How are we doing?" Stoick asked.

"I don't really know…" Astrid answered honestly.

"I can imagine there's a lot of mixed feelings. My family and I offer our sincerest condolences at this time of loss," Stoick said softly.

"Thank you…" Astrid tried not to cry as the nurse helped her out of the bed.

"If my dear son hasn't already told you, I'm your family lawyer. Spitelout thought you might like to get a start on things, so I received a phone call at 6:30 this morning, and began rounding up all the files. I know we can't discuss it at your house, would you like to come to mine and speak in my office?" Stoick inquired.

"Yeah…Th-That's fine," Astrid nodded. "C-Can my friends come too?"

"No," Hiccup interrupted his father.

"Hiccup…" Stoick warned.

"No, Dad. I don't care what the situation is; I told you that I don't want them at the house, and I have perfectly valid reasons why that I gave on Tuesday night when I got home from detention. They've already used what they learned about my life in a month and a half against me, and I refuse to give them anything else. Astrid can come because she has business with you, but the others…No," Hiccup retorted coldly.

"You're being unreasonable, boy," Spitelout sighed.

"Come on, Hiccup; it's not like you to be this way," Frida added.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I wouldn't have to be if people could learn to stay out of my business and shut their mouths when warned twice to do so," Hiccup glared.

"They just want to be there to support their friend; you would want the same, son. Your mother and I raised you better than to be petty," Stoick reminded. Hiccup's eyes softened a little but still showed annoyance and frustration.

"Fine. Whatever. They aren't riding in my car, and I'm staying at Dagur and Heather's until they leave…" Hiccup grumbled as he exited the room with Runa. Nadia and Eret helped Astrid get to Hiccup's vehicle as Stoick followed. Eret told Astrid that he and their friends would be right behind Hiccup to Haddock Manor. Stoick got in the back seat next to Runa's carrier, allowing Astrid to ride shotgun. Spitelout and Frida left but would be in touch soon. Astrid buckled herself, eyes closing with her head tilted off to the side near the window. So her parents were dead, and now she had to make all the arrangements for the service and funeral. Could it get any worse?


	18. Gone Up In Flames

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Gone Up In Flames

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, November 19, 2021-3:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor; Stoick's Office)**_

It had been the worst week of my entire life, and I only prayed that things turned around soon because I hated feeling this way. No matter how many people I surrounded myself with; I couldn't shake the lonely, empty feeling within my heart. My parents were dead, and nothing I did or said would change that. It will be a week since the deaths of Colden and Alva Hofferson in two days on Sunday the 21st. How unfair was it that on the 25th of November; it would be Thanksgiving, and the two people I was most thankful to have in my life are no longer in it? I've spent at least an hour every day looking over that last set of texts between my father and I; seeing them say how much they loved me. Gods, it just tore me up inside. As my house was no longer safe to reside in, as stated by the Fire Chief; I'm staying between Ragna, Camicazi, Nadia, and Eret's houses. It was between the three girls Monday through Sunday, but sometimes; I would stay at Eret's for the weekend. I was grateful to my friends and boyfriend for stepping up and offering me their places to wait until everything got sorted out. That would hopefully be remedied today now that the service and funeral were over.

It began with the day I left the hospital. Reaching the Haddock Manor, Stoick and I went to his office. My friends came too for support, but as Hiccup had vowed to do; he didn't stick around. He packed up some things for Runa, then left with Stormfly to go see Dagur and Heather in Berserker. I guess I couldn't blame him for still being upset with us, but honestly; it was the least of my concerns as I had more significant problems than Hiccup Haddock's grudge-holding capabilities. Stoick pulled out the file regarding my parents' funeral arrangements, and we went through everything they had wanted. I guess there hadn't been much for me to really do in all this; my parents took care of everything and paid for it all too. All I was required for was picking dates and times for both services, and being aware of how things would go. When it came to talking about the last will and testament bit; Stoick said that other items had to be handled before it would be valid to go over. What that mean to me was it had to be official my parents were dead and buried first.

I chose Wednesday for the wake and funeral; both to be held after school so my boyfriend and friends could come and not get bitched at by their parents for missing a day. The memorial was at 4 pm, and the funeral at 5 pm. Following that was the after-party at some banquet hall my parents had wanted; I think it was the place they were married. When that had ended around 8 pm; I went home with Camicazi due to being emotionally exhausted, but who could blame me? It had been a long day, and I've missed school the past three days. Thankfully, my friends were getting my work for me, and the teachers were being super cool about me turning it in with extended deadlines because of what I was going through. I would be back to school on Monday; I couldn't afford to miss much more, or I might be screwed for Midterms in January after Winter Break. Sure, my grades weren't stellar, but I still wanted to pass and graduate come June 2022.

A lot of people showed up for the memorial and funeral; I don't think I've ever shaken so many hands or received so many hugs in my entire life. All people who worked with or knew my parents, most of them, sadly, I didn't know. All my friends and boyfriend turned out with their families. The Haddock's and Jorgenson's came, so did the Ogglebert-Ingerman's. Pretty sure Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Heather, and Dagur came too. I guess the Bazirk father knew my parents also. More and more things I'm finding out that I probably should have known if I bothered to pay attention. However, one of the biggest shockers to me was that when the person who was supposed to come sing a song at the memorial for my parents didn't show, Hiccup of all people stepped up and offered to sing the song instead. I couldn't believe it when he made the suggestion, but Hiccup got up there and did it. And I'm confident that I cried because of how beautiful the song was. Hiccup performed a song called Forever by Rascal Flatts, and I believe it's meant to be about a couple breaking up, but the message I got was that I didn't have my parents long enough, but what we did have would last forever in my mind and heart.

I thanked Hiccup, sincerely by hugging and kissing his cheek accompanied by a Thank You for what he did. The rest of the memorial finished, then it went to the cemetery for the funeral as I said. A lot of things were still questionable, but the bottom line; My parents are dead, my house is destroyed from the fire…I didn't know what started the fire, or what actually caused my parents to die; whether it was smoke inhalation, heat, carbon monoxide…According to Spitelout, things were still being investigated. I hoped that changed today when I met with Stoick about the will; all I wanted was just a little good news to offset the utter sadness I felt from the last few days. So here I am at Haddock Manor once more; my friends stayed behind this time, and I think Hiccup is working until or 8 pm. I can't remember what he said he worked on Fridays because they were usually nights that Olivia brought Runa over. I think initially; he didn't work weekends, but I guess it's changed from what Hiccup mentioned at the start of October when we first learned more about him.

"Decided to come alone for this?" Stoick asked gently.

"I thought it would be best," I replied.

"Well, these matters are typically kept between immediate family," Stoick informed. "To begin…How are you doing?"

"I guess I'm alright…Still feels…Different even though it's almost been a full week," I admitted.

"Aye, it can do that for a while, but it gets easier with the love and support of those who care," Stoick reminded. I nodded, accepting the answer. I knew it would take a long time for me to get past this entire thing. "I imagine you'd like to get right to it?" he asked. I nodded again. Stoick sighed instantly, and I felt like this wasn't going to go as good as I hoped it would. "It was the wishes of your parents, Astrid, that you receive everything they possessed in the event of their passing. The last will and testament for both of your parents, Colden and Alva Hofferson, separately were mirrored,"

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, for your father; everything was to be split between you and your mother in the event of his death. However, if your mother were to die before you; then you receive everything. And your mother, like your father's, states that you and your dad would divide everything if she passed, but if he went before you, then you get it all," Stoick explained.

"And what happens if they had both passed? Everything goes to me still" I inquired.

"That was the plan. Unfortunately…" Stoick paused as I felt my heart clench. "There are some complications it seeing it all the way through," he continued.

"What…" I began nervously, then took a breath. "What types of complications, Mr. Haddock?" I forced out.

"The first problem is that before your father sought my counsel on the matter; both wills were written…Illegally. What that breaks down to meaning is that neither of the original last will and testaments were registered in accordance with the town of Berk's laws or with valid witnesses. What it boils down to, Astrid; neither of these documents can be fulfilled as they aren't legal," Stoick explained.

"I don't understand. Isn't…It your job as their lawyer to see to it that they are written correctly and legalized?" I questioned.

"Yes, it is…But only if your father and I had gotten to finish making the necessary adjustments to do such a thing. As I said, Astrid…These," Stoick held up the two documents. "Were written by your parents before coming to me and handling the legality side of things. And their first wills, Astrid, did not include you because you had not yet been born, or even conceived. Now, for quite a bit of time; your father and I lost touch. And I wasn't their lawyer at the time these were made. I was actually still in law school. By the time we got in contact again; you were here, and your father re-wrote things to include you. However, it was only just very recently that these changes were made. I guess your father had forgotten entirely about the fact he and your mother wrote their own wills. I saw them when your father asked me to become his lawyer in a matter for work,"

I nodded, following along so far. "I informed your father that his and your mother's wills were not legal, and I told them what would need to be done to get it situated. This did not begin until September, and with your father getting re-elected as Mayor again, your mother's traveling; we just did not get around to finishing things. Your mother and father were always putting it off, saying they had plenty of time, and wouldn't be dying anytime soon," Stoick continued.

"But if you have those, saying what the wanted…Can't you legalize them now?" I questioned.

Stoick shook his head. "The last piece of this was their signatures and witnesses. Valka and I signed our places, as witnesses, and legal representative being me. However, with them now deceased…" he trailed off.

"Those don't meet the law requirements to be filed properly and enacted as intended…" I looked down. "What happens to all their things then?"

"All assets; meaning accounts, inheritances, property, for the time being, are frozen under the jurisdiction of the courts," Stoick informed. I wanted to cry. "Please, don't cry, Lass. I promise I'll find a way to rectify this minor detail. I'm sure I can locate a loophole in the laws and speak with a judge, and discover a way to get you what your parents intended for you to have in the event of their passing," he vowed.

I wiped my eyes. "Wh-What about the payout for the house insurance? B-Because it was destroyed in the fire?" I tried.

"That's another matter that your father didn't listen to me when I advised a proper course of action, and unfortunately…You are the one who has to suffer for it. The homeowner's insurance policy is in effect for natural disasters; tornados, hurricanes, flooding, etc. Also, it's for fire…" Stoick started.

"W-Well, this was a fire," I said quickly.

" _Accidental_ fires, Lass," Stoick told me. I stopped, staring at him.

"Wh-What do you mean, Mr. Haddock? T-The fire that happened last Saturday night…I-It was accidental…Mom…Probably left the stove on, o-or there was a gas leak…" I stammered, not liking where this was going.

Stoick shook his head again, sadly as I felt my breath get caught in my throat. "Astrid…The investigation regarding the cause of the fire that killed your parents was deemed arson,"

I felt my body get weak, and thankfully, I was already sitting down, or I might have passed out again. "Y-You me-mean someone…Started that fire… _On purpose_?" I managed to get out, trying to process the information. My parents were murdered?

My fears were confirmed when Stoick nodded his head. I fell back in the chair, eyes widened. "Spitelout spoke to me this morning about the findings at the scene. The arsonist, who police still don't know or even have a suspect yet, set his fires in the outlets, a broken gas line, things that could begin slow, burn, then explode after a certain amount of time. It was decided by the fire investigator, and police that the fire was intentional. Someone or some people, if more than one were actively trying to kill your family. I suspect you too were meant to be murdered as well, but as you told Spitelout and Alvin…You snuck out to go to a party at your boyfriend's house,"

"S-So they were killed, on purpose? A-And authorities don't know who? And I don't get the money from my house that was destroyed intentionally, in an attempt to kill my family, me? Something that did take my parents?!" I began getting worked up.

"The insurance company will not cover the payout on the house because the fire was not accidental. I expressed to your father many times to change the policy to include everything, and he was confident that no one would be trying to take him down…And as such, like I said…That decision now affects you because you can't collect the money from the payout…" Stoick explained. I-I couldn't believe this. Between the illegal will and testament, and this arson thing; this meant that I didn't get anything. I-I was broke with nothing more to my name than…Well, my name as a Hofferson; former daughter to the Mayor of Berk. I had my car, but with no money for gas or the insurance that was in my parent's name; I wouldn't be able to drive it. I barely had clothes because of the fire obliterating most of the house. Gods, there were still things I wanted in there. "Do you have a place to go, Astrid?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm staying between my friend's places…For now…" I replied. "I-I there any way I'd be allowed at the house…T-To get things the might have survived the fire?"

"I'll call Spitelout and check; I believe the house was condemned to be unsafe, but there might be a slight chance," Stoick lifted the phone from the cradle and dialed a number as I sat back, still in shock, and trying to figure out what I was going to do. I wasn't getting the payout because the fire was arson, not accidental. And my parents' assets were frozen for the time being. But Lord only knew how long it would take to fix that if it could at all. Sure, I had my friends, but how long would that last; they couldn't put me up for long. The agreement had been until all this blew over, and right now; it had hit a major snag and set back farther than I anticipated. I didn't even hear Stoick talking on the phone until he put the device down and got my attention.

"Astrid?" Stoick said. I snapped out of it and looked at him sadly, miserable, and at a complete loss for words or ideas. "Spitelout says Alvin, and he will accompany you to your house tomorrow to walk through the selected safe areas given by the fire department to retrieved anything salvageable. Spitelout said he and Alvin will meet you there at 9 am if that's alright with you?" I just nodded, as if I had much choice; this was my only opportunity to hopefully grab some things to hold me over until I found another solution to this.

"I-I guess I should get going…Thank you for everything, Mr. Haddock. I-I'll find a way to pay you back for your services to my family. Well, what's left of it…" I stated, finding the strength to get up and stand so I could leave.

"Don't worry about it, Lass. Your parents were good friends to my family, and I was your folks' lawyer by favor, not hire. You don't owe anything for my services; just promise that if you need anything, you will call. The Haddock Manor doors are always open to you," Stoick smiled. "And I will keep working on finding the loophole with the wills,"

"Thank you," I said, trying not to cry again. I shook Stoick's hand, then headed for the exit of the estate. I got in my car, then left to go to Ragna's, as that's where I would be staying tonight. I didn't know what would happen next and hoped I hoped it wasn't anything worse than right now because at this moment, knowing what I do; all my prayers about it getting better had just gone up in flames with my house, and my parents.


	19. Was He Right?

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Was He Right?

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Monday, December 6, 2021-2:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

It was awful. I never imagined I'd have to live my life without my parents at the young age of seventeen. I figured in my fifties or sixties, but not as a teenager. Thanksgiving was terrible, even though I was with friends. Christmas would be no better. Getting things from my house had been one of the most painful things I'd ever done. I located the biggest suitcases I could find from the basement without stepping into any of the areas that I was told were unsafe. Carefully getting upstairs I packed as many clothes as I could into one bag, including a pillow, and two blankets. One of them had been something my parents got me when I was born; my baby blanket which had the head of a Deadly Nadder; yellow eyes, blue and tan body with the crown of khaki spikes, but the body was a long, pink blanket. In the very bottom corner; it read my name. **Astrid Hofferson** , and below that was **March 9, 2004**. No matter what; I could never leave that behind. The rest in the second suitcase were albums, a couple pictures that survived the fire from off the walls, some of my makeup and bathroom items. I grabbed essential documents and then loaded everything into my car's trunk. After that, I said a very tearful goodbye to my home. I went back to Ragna's and stayed there until the 22nd, Monday morning for school.

Since that day, it's been about two weeks and nothing from Stoick about locating a loophole in my parent's illegally written wills. I was sure Stoick would fix things; I just hoped it didn't take too long, but even if he manages to find what he was looking for; it would take some time with the courts to argue and get things approved. I spent Thanksgiving at Eret's house but did see my friends when they came over for dessert; it was tough for me to get through, and I must have spent a good portion of the morning crying that my parents were gone. Eret tried to comfort me, but unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do to cheer me up. By dinner on Thanksgiving; I wasn't sobbing anymore, but it was still painful. Although I despised the idea; I might have to get a job to pay for car insurance and gas. My insurance, for now, is covered until a week before Christmas since the November payment had been before my parents died. And Eret had put gas in my car yesterday since I pick him up and bring him to school every morning.

My phone bill would be due in a week, but I wasn't so much worried about that because I could still use it with WiFi. School must be the worst; everyone always looking at me and wondering if I'm okay. Of course, I'm not and wouldn't be for a while. Right now; it's Dragon Training class, and we've finished Boulder Class before October had ended, and completed all of the Sharp Classification dragons before November was over. With it being December now, Hiccup said we'd be moving into Strike Class, which only has six dragons to get through, but Hiccup warned that Strike Class was actually longer and harder than any of the other courses we'd been learning in Dragon Training. However, once we got through it; we'd spend the rest of the classes until Christmas Break going over anything we weren't sure of or needed a refresher on because Midterms were coming when we returned to school after New Year's Day. And when Midterms were done; we were getting into bonding, training, and flying for the rest of the school year.

At the moment, Hiccup was running a bit late to class. Dagur said he'd be along soon; that there was something he had to take care of before arriving.

"Sorry, I'm late. Let's get started," Hiccup stated as he walked up and stood in his usual place. "As you know; we're moving into Strike Class dragons. Who can give me an example of a Strike Class?" he asked.

Nadia raised her hand and Hiccup pointed to her. "Snow Wraith?"

"That's correct. Anyone else want to give another?" Hiccup motioned to the class.

"Wooly Howl?" Fishlegs jumped in.

"Very good. Another one?" Hiccup invited us to continue.

"Skrill!" Thuggory announced.

"Right. There's three more," Hiccup said.

"Threadtail?" Heather asked.

"Excellent work, Heather," Hiccup nodded.

"Triple Stryke!" Dagur called.

"Dagur! It's for them, not you!" Hiccup muttered as Dagur covered his mouth.

"Sorry…" Dagur sagged a bit. Hiccup shook his head with a sigh. I raised my hand now.

"Astrid," Hiccup motioned my way.

"Is the last one Night Fury?" I wondered.

"It is. Well done," Hiccup replied. "Now. Strike Class dragons are characterized by their blazing speed, vice-like jaw strength, and extreme intelligence, as well as pin-point accuracy, powerful attacks, explosive firepower and a unique ability to allow them to navigate in their respective environments/atmosphere. The dragons in this class are some of the rarest of all dragons, some are close to extinction. They are also the most difficult to train but the most loyal once they have been trained. They are also generally among the most powerful dragons," he continued to explain.

"Which dragon represents the Strike Class?" Camicazi inquired.

"That would be the Night Fury," Dagur interjected. "Though, I feel it should be the Skrill," he shrugged. Hiccup arched a brow. "What? Come on, Hiccup; you know that the Skrill is the top dragon,"

"On what grounds?" Hiccup wondered.

"W-Well; it's faster," Dagur tried.

"Skrills can ride lightning," Eret said.

"If there is any. If not; it flies regularly. Also, the electrical blasts created by a Skrill are ones that were charged from absorbing lightning. If the Skrill hits the water; there will be no electricity," Hiccup informed casually. "A Night Fury, on the other hand, can reach speeds to break the sound barrier. Which is a speed of about seven-hundred and sixty-seven miles per hour; notably in divebombs. Also, Night Furies have a six-shot limit but recharge faster, making it seem like there is no limit. In either case, it doesn't matter which dragon represents the class; every dragon is unique in their own way," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Eh," Dagur shrugged.

"Alright, we're going to start with the Woo-," Hiccup began once more, but a Whispering Death shot up from the ground, forcing everyone to scatter to avoid being hit. "Woah!" Hiccup looked at the others. "Is everyone alright?!" he asked quickly.

"Y-Yeah!" they called back.

"I swear it wasn't us this time!" Eret stated quickly. Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You have a plan?" Dagur asked Hiccup.

"Be quiet, and get them to safety," Hiccup informed. Dagur nodded, silently making his way towards the students as Hiccup remained where he was.

"Your parents will kill me if you end up hurt again!" Dagur called.

"Dagur! Just get them back," Hiccup demanded. Dagur nodded, moving u to a safer spot as Hiccup kept the Whispering Death on him, which wasn't easy given these dragons had notoriously poor eyesight. The dragon snarled at Hiccup, diving at him, but Hiccup jumped to the right and rolled away from the collision. This kept happening, and I found myself getting worried. Hiccup was good and had handled Hookfang well during the last dragon brawl, but this particular dragon was a wild one and not pre-trained by Hiccup.

"I-Is he gonna be alright?" I asked Dagur.

"Actually…I don't know…Whispering Deaths are incredibly hard to train, and don't typically respond to Hiccup's usual training methods…" Dagur winced a little as Hiccup got knocked into the stables.

"We have to help him, brother!" Heather demanded.

"Hiccup said to stay back…" Fishlegs reminded. Hiccup got on the dragon's tail, beginning to climb up and sit right behind its head. The Whispering Death didn't like this and began to thrash around, trying to throw Hiccup off. Finally, after five minutes; it happened. Hiccup hit the ground hard, cringing as he tried to recover. Hiccup rolled and got up slowly, shaking his head to focus. The Whispering Death whipped it's tail, firing spikes at Hiccup, and one got him in the side and was sticking out.

"HICCUP!" his friends yelled in worry. Hiccup moved his hand away from his side instantly, seeing blood beginning to come through. Hiccup hissed, struggling to get up.

"Dagur, do something! Hiccup's gonna get himself killed!" Snotlout ordered Dagur. Hiccup got a graze on the arm, and he'd been slammed against the ground again. Without warning, there was a screech-like roar from the edge of the trees. And then suddenly, an all black dragon with green eyes jumped out and rammed into the Whispering Death; efficiently knocking it away from delivering a final blow to Hiccup.

"Toothless!" the friends said in surprise and relief. Who is Toothless? The Night Fury? Why did they know who this Night Fury was? Dagur moved us away from the dragon fight, and he went to Hiccup's side to make sure he was alright.

The Night Fury smacked the Whispering Death away, then Stormfly jumped in, shooting her spines at it. Together, this Night Fury and Stormfly pinned the Whispering Death to the ground and prepared to fire. "Toothless! Stormfly! No," Hiccup commanded the two dragons. Stormfly and the Night Fury known as Toothless backed off, releasing the Whispering Death as it got up and moved away. Hiccup carefully moved between the Stormfly and Toothless, panting, and holding his side. "We don't kill other dragons," he told them. The Whispering Death made another launch for Hiccup, but Toothless growled lowly, snarling as he fired a purple blast as the dragon to make it back down. Hiccup hit the ground in pain as Stormfly squawked with concern. Toothless and the Whispering death were growling at one another, almost facing off.

However, what shocked me is that Toothless, this Night Fury protectively stood over Hiccup, refusing to let the Whispering Death near him. Toothless snaked his tail around Hiccup's figure, then prepared another blast. The Whispering Death stood down, almost bowing its head in submission, then diving into the ground to get away from Toothless. I couldn't believe what I just saw. A Night Fury, one of the rarest, fastest dragons around just showed up and protected Hiccup from assault by a Whispering Death. The Night Fury gave a snort of annoyance, then turned to look at Hiccup.

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup smiled a little, putting his hand on the dragon's head, and rubbing a bit to relax the clearly concerned creature. Stormfly nudged Hiccup a bit. "Yes, thank you too, Stormfly," Hiccup pet her nose as she moved into it.

"No way…A Night Fury?!" Eret and Thuggory said in shock, the girls and myself surprised as well.

"I wanna bond with him!" Ragna demanded. Instantly, Toothless narrowed his eyes at them, and we stepped back, slightly afraid.

"Pfft, you'll never bond with Toothless," Tuffnut said.

"He only listens to Hiccup, and tolerates us even though we're Hiccup's best friends," Ruffnut added.

"And he's Stomfly's best friend," Hiccup added tiredly. "I've had Toothless for three years too; I helped him when he was hurt…And he's just stayed by my side since. He's always around here, home, or work depending on where I'm at," Hiccup held his side tighter.

"You need to see Nurse Mala, Hiccup…Hell, you might even have to go back to the hospital for that hit to the side…" Minden informed quickly. Hiccup moved his hand to the spine that was still sticking out, he gripped it tightly and pulled it out, then let it fall to the ground.

"I'll be fine…" Hiccup winced as he forced himself on Toothless's back and pointed to the main building. Toothless began walking with Stormfly following. "Dagur, start the lesson for Skrills," Hiccup told him. Dagur nodded and not long after, Hiccup was out of sight. I seriously couldn't believe this. Hiccup was…Friends with a Night Fury; it didn't even hesitate to protect him from that Whispering Death, or my friends and I when we got too close to Hiccup while he was hurt. I literally had no words, and it seemed my group didn't either. And even so; we couldn't do much because Dagur had started the lesson already. I guess we'd have to wait until later to ask Hiccup about the Night Fury. Well, I know I was curious, but I think that once again, my friends are jealously and slightly pissed off about it.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, December 9, 2021-5:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Boggs Residence)**_

After school on Thursday, everyone went to Bog-Burglar to relax at Camicazi's house and whip through the remainder of their homework. Astrid was mostly quiet during all their complaining that Hiccup had Stormfly, and Toothless, who was a male Night Fury. Hiccup was back to teaching on Tuesday after unfortunately, having to go to the emergency room to take care of the wound on his side from Monday. Either way, everyone was doing great with the Strike Class lessons so far, but they were still only on Threadtail. Today, when Camicazi got a call from her mother; it was discovered that she had to work late and wouldn't be home to make dinner. So now, everyone was discussing what to do for food because they were getting hungry.

"Why don't we just go out?" Ragna suggested.

"I suppose we could. Everyone down for that?" Eret asked. Astrid hadn't even been paying attention when she nodded along with the others.

"Well, let's go then," Camicazi said.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom first," Astrid said, getting up and moving to the bathroom down the hall. Once the door was closed, the remaining six in the room began whispering.

"Anyone think it's odd that Astrid is still living with us even though she's got what her parents left her?" Nadia asked.

"We all do, actually," Thuggory nodded as he stood with the others, preparing to leave. Gruffnut accidentally knocked over Astrid's bag, and what slid out of the side was a purple journal. Camicazi picked it up, inspecting the book, then opening it up to realize it's was a diary.

"What is it?" Eret asked.

"Looks like a diary that Astrid started at the beginning of Senior Year," Camicazi replied quietly, flipping through pages. Finally, she stopped on an entry from November 20th, the Saturday after the will reading at Haddock Manor. Scanning the page, Camicazi's eyes widened. "And oh, my Gods…She doesn't have any money,"

"What are you talking about?" Nadia asked.

"Astrid's entry from the day after the will reading; she says right here that she couldn't collect the payout because of the nature regarding the fire in the home, and her parents didn't legalize their wills, so she doesn't get anything," Ragna said, glancing over Camicazi's shoulder.

"And the next page says that Stoick is trying to find a loophole around it, but until then; she's broke," Camicazi added.

"She's free-loading then; staying with your girls and me until this comes through. Pfft, Odin only knows how long that can take," Eret remarked. The toilet in the bathroom flushed as they quickly put the diary away, but not before grinning a little as an idea formed.

"Okay, let's go," Astrid smiled a little. After that, they all loaded into their cars and headed for Archia Burger because it wasn't too far away.

 **. . .**

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

After arriving at the fast food place; it seemed to be a quiet night there with very few diners. They all placed their order and let Astrid go last. Once she was done, and the cashier gave the total, the others started.

"Oh, Astrid…Can you get it?" Nadia said sweetly. "I didn't bring my wallet today,"

"My parents cut my spending until Monday," Thuggory shrugged.

"Left my wallet in my bag at Cami's," Eret informed.

"Mine is in the car, but too lazy to go get it," Gruffnut sat down in one of the chairs. Astrid got nervous because she didn't have anything, but she would try anyway. Astrid just fished out her card and handed it to the male behind the counter. The boy swiped it through the machine, and it was declined. The man tried for the second time, and it happened once more.

"I'm sorry, but your card is being declined. Would you like to try another one?" the man asked gently. Astrid bit her bottom lip, thoroughly embarrassed.

"What's wrong, Ast?" Ragna inquired.

"M-My card isn't working," Astrid admitted.

"Oh, that's terrible, sweetie. It must be a bank issue," Camicazi frowned. "Well, I guess we'll just have to go then and make something at the house. My card isn't approved for a large charge; it limits at $50 per day," she added. Astrid faced the cashier, trying to smile.

"I'm sorry…Can't you just…Void the order?" Astrid requested.

"No problem, and hey; it happens, so don't feel bad. I just have to get the boss over to do it because it's so big," the man replied. "Yo, bossman! Need you for a void," he called.

"I'm comin'," a familiar voice replied. Seconds later, Hiccup strolled up beside the cashier. Instantly, they could see that Hiccup was wearing a different uniform from the others, and his tag read **Hiccup** , then under that was **Manager**. Hiccup saw Astrid standing at the counter, looking mildly upset, and then the friends behind her, snickering slightly. "What seems to be the problem, Mikkel?"

"Oh, this young lady's card was declined twice, and she's asking to void the order," the cashier, Mikkel informed Hiccup, who saw how embarrassed Astrid looked.

 _Did those assholes set her up knowing she doesn't have the money right now because of what happened?_ Hiccup wondered. "Well, sometimes these machines can give us a little trouble with cards and larger orders. Which combo was yours, ma'am?" Hiccup inquired professionally, and with a smile.

"I-It was the number seven, b-but don't worry about it…I'll just have to call the bank tomorrow and figure out what happened," Astrid tried to play it off casually.

"Let me see your card, please?" Hiccup asked. Astrid bit her bottom lip but gave him her card. Hiccup started tapping a few things on the screen. A moment later, a receipt printed out as Hiccup smiled, handing Astrid her card back. "All set," he told her. Astrid looked at him, surprised.

"H-How did you make it work?" Astrid asked, entirely baffled. And once more, she noticed that only the thing she ordered was on the receipt and that there had been no charge; it said Manager Meal. _Did Hiccup give me his meal because my card didn't work?_

"Like I said, sometimes these machines mess up. I just put your card in manually, and it went through no problem," Hiccup said gently as he handed her the cup and a lid with it. Hiccup saw that the others had stopped laughing, looking either mad or confused, maybe both.

"Hiccup, I know I'm flat broke because of the will situation that your dad is trying to fix, and it says manager meal on the receipt. Why'd you do that for me? Especially after the way I've treated you…" Astrid asked quietly. Hiccup leaned on the counter with a smile.

"Because something tells me that maybe you'll remember what I said in October when you found out about my life. Where I said that I know who my real friends are and that if I ended up broke tomorrow; they wouldn't toss me aside just because the situation changed," Hiccup said as Astrid's eyes met his.

"But they haven't-," Astrid began.

"Not saying they have, but please; for your sake of not being hurt any more than you already are with the loss of your parents…Consider what I said, and ask yourself if those people behind who purposely left you with the bill are really your friends or not. I saw them laughing Astrid; I know they did this on purpose to embarrass you in a public place," Hiccup informed as Astrid looked down a little. Hiccup got her food when it was called to be ready, then he set it on her tray. "Also, I did it just to see the looks on their faces right now, which is gonna get me through the rest of my night," Hiccup stood up with a wink as Astrid glanced back seeing their shocked, slightly annoyed faces. "Enjoy your meal," he added.

"Thank you," Astrid whispered.

"Hey, it's what friends do; help each other out. I'd hope that if the roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me," Hiccup replied.

Astrid smiled a little, then turned to head to the drink machine. However, she did ask herself one thing. _Was he right?_


	20. Ditched

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Ditched

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, December 10, 2021-2:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

It was still astounding to me that Hiccup used his manager meal to pay for my dinner last night. Even with all, he said, which I denied the first time I ever heard it in October; I actually gave it some thought after I sat down with my grilled chicken sandwich, small fry, and ginger ale. A lot of things Hiccup had said to me the last couple of months were beginning to come forward, and I wondered if he knew that Eret and the others would end up casting me aside one day. According to Hiccup; he used to call me his best friend before my dad became the mayor. Hiccup said a few days before my parents were killed, which there are still no leads on, that everything good about me was gone and I let the money go to my head. The strangest part; I couldn't remember before my dad became mayor. Was I really friends with Hiccup? I mean, if it were true, then I'd recall it, right? I think Hiccup was just trying to make me feel bad that day. Still, though, other things were ones I couldn't deny.

On the way to Archia Burger last night; the others were all talking about what they wanted, and Eret said he'd pay for mine as if we were on a date. I stayed back in my car to do something on my phone, but by the time I got in; the others had finished ordering. I placed mine, and then they threw it on me to pay. I was thoroughly embarrassed to have my card declined twice, and then to top it off, remember that Hiccup works for Archia Burger, and be told what happened. I knew Hiccup worked somewhere, but I didn't know he was a manager at Archia Burger. Regardless, I saw Hiccup play it cool. What I didn't expect was for him to use his employee meal for my order. I was sure Hiccup hated us, meaning my friends and me, so why would he only pay for mine? Hiccup stated that he hoped I'd reconsider thinking about what he said in October about knowing who your real friends are. It did make me think about that day in Hiccup's basement when we first learned Hiccup was a rich kid living in Berkian Estates.

No, Hiccup was crazy. My boyfriend loved me, and my friends would always be here. What happened just last night was a gag; them messing around to cheer me up because I've been miserable without my parents. There's only fifteen minutes of Dragon Training left, and we're still working in the Strike Class. As it was a decent day; we were outside for the lesson, but if the weather were terrible we would go inside the stables. Shockingly, those were always clean and smelled great. We used the first twenty minutes of class to go over the rest of Threadtail, and now we were on Triple Stryke. Next week on Monday would be more of that, then Snow Wraith, and Wooly Howl. Finally, right before Winter Break; it would be the fabled Night Fury. And truthfully; I was kind of excited to learn more about the dragon everyone primarily feared. No one had seen a Night Fury in years, but Hiccup seemed to be best friends with one. My boyfriend and friends hated it.

"Each of the three tails does something different," Hiccup continued talking about the Triple Stryke. "One numbs, the second disorients with mild hallucinogens, and the third creates a painful sensation of your blood burning. Triple Stryke dragons prefer to use their tails over their fire, which tends to use more energy," I put my hand up now. "Yes, Astrid?"

"You said before that they braid their tails together to one…Why? I mean; it still does the same thing, doesn't it?" I wondered.

"Excellent question. And the answer is no, in fact. There are two different aspects of the tails setup. If the tails are braided then they are in a position to whip back their opponents; it is more of a defensive move as opposed to when the tails are separated and able to sting," Hiccup said.

"Oh, okay," I nodded, understanding now.

"Strike Class is supposed to be the hardest set of dragons to train next to Stoker, right?" Eret asked.

"Correct," Hiccup replied.

"So, how would one get close to a Strike Class?" Eret pushed.

"Carefully. The best way is to get their attention with something. Strike Class dragons are naturally aggressive, and distrusting of humans, and occasionally other dragons. However, due to their rarity as most are close to being extinct…These set of dragons are incredibly curious, smart, and fast. They've demonstrated that they can see, and learn new things, then mimic it," Hiccup stated.

"Like, how?" Ragna inquired.

"I suppose Toothless would be a good example…" Hiccup rubbed his chin a bit, then stood. Hiccup cupped his hands over his mouth and let out a dragon call, one similar to a Night Fury. Moments later, Toothless the Night Fury emerged from the trees being wary of the others. "Come on, bud; it's alright," Hiccup reached his hand forward as Toothless sniffed it a few times, then pressed his snout to the palm.

"Alright, show us what you meant about the seeing and mimicry thing," Thuggory said.

"Well, when I met Toothless three years ago; he was not as forthcoming as you just saw. Toothless was aggressive, hesitant, but still curious about being so close to a human. Now, you'll notice rig he wears, and this is because when I met Toothless; his left tail fin had been ripped off and this, unfortunately, makes it so he can't fly," Hiccup explained.

"Oh, poor Toothless…" Camicazi and Nadia frowned.

"I found him wounded and wanted to help, but he didn't want me near him. I had to get his attention, and I did this by offering him a fish, and showing that I had nothing on me that I'd use to hurt him. Toothless ate it, then spit half back up and into my lap. I guess this action, me feeding him, was enough for him to see that I didn't want to harm him. Toothless spit the fish up because he was trying to share with me when I said I didn't have any more," Hiccup smiled.

"You didn't actually eat it, did you?" Eret inquired.

"Oh, I absolutely did. And yes, it was disgusting, but I earned his trust doing it. After the fish thing, he still wouldn't get too close to him, so I let him be, but didn't go far. I grabbed a stick and started drawing him in the dirt. Toothless came over and sat next to me to watch. As I finished; he grabbed a more giant stick, and tried to copy what I was doing. I tried to get a better look and stepped on one of the lines; he growled at me. After a bit of this, I understood he wanted me to follow the lines without stepping on them. By the end, my back was to him and just inches away. I tried to touch him, he growled. So, I turned my head and closed my eyes with the hand out, and he put his nose to my palm. When I looked at him; his eyes were closed. This was us giving one another full trust," Hiccup shrugged.

"Wow," I said. "And that rig…Where'd you get it?"

"This? Oh, I made that. It went through a lot of modifications before reaching this, but ultimately; I'm the only one who can fly him because I know how to work the pedal that controls the left side to make flight possible as if nothing changed," Hiccup informed.

"Wait, you built that rig for him?" Ragna blinked.

"Mmhm. It's why we're such good friends; he can't fly without me," Hiccup scratched under Toothless's chin, causing the dragon to warble with delight. Moments later, Stormfly wandered out of the forest and sat on Hiccup's other side to get his attention too.

"The dragons love you," I smiled a bit.

"I consider myself pretty alright with them," Hiccup responded.

"Your Nadder is beautiful; I love her colors," I complimented.

"Yeah…Stormfly is my special girl. Well, second to Runa…" Hiccup chuckled. Suddenly, Stormfly got up and began sniffing me, and circling curiously. I got a little nervous.

"W-What's she doing?" I asked quickly.

"Just getting to know you a bit; I think she likes that you complimented her," Hiccup said. Stormfly continued sniffing, then stopped and squawked at me before getting a stick and placing it at my feet.

"U-Um?" I looked at Hiccup for help.

"Stormfly loves to play and fetch is her favorite. Go ahead, throw the stick," Hiccup invited. I picked it up as Stormfly got super excited. I threw it as Stormfly darted off in a hurry to catch it, then bring it back. Stormfly nudged against me as I laughed a little. "Yeah, she really likes you,"

"Very affectionate. C-Can I pet her?" I asked. Hiccup motioned for me to do it. I began scratching under her chin as she nuzzled me more, purring almost. Stormfly pulled away and stared at me with her head to the side, and I remembered that Deadly Nadders couldn't see directly in front of them; that was their blind spot. Stormfly nudged me again, a bit harder than before. I looked at Hiccup once more. Hiccup stood, giving a hand signal to Toothless to stay put.

"What is it, girl?" Hiccup asked. Stormfly squawked again, nodding her head my way. "Oh, I see now," Hiccup replied. "Astrid, put your right hand out, please? With the palm facing Stormfly," I was confused but did what he asked. Hiccup motioned his head towards me as Stormfly got excited and moved somewhat behind me, and her head coming next to mine, then pressing her snout to my palm, eyes closed. For some reason, the feeling made me close my eyes. And there was one moment of perfect peace and comfort around me. "Welcome to the ranks of having a bonded dragon, Miss. Hofferson," my eyes snapped open.

"Wh-What?" I asked. "But I…What…Huh?" I said, completely dumbfounded. Wasn't Stormfly…Hiccup's bonded dragon?

"You've bonded to Stormfly, or rather, she chose to bond with you," Hiccup informed gently.

"Congratulations," Dagur added.

"Wait…But I…Isn't Stormfly yours?" I questioned.

"In the sense that I've taken care of her since she was just an egg, yes. Stormfly's egg was found abandoned, and with help from my mother; we assisted in the hatching. Stormfly just latched on to me as a caretaker, and good friend, but no; we're not bonded," Hiccup explained.

"Now, hang on a second! You said in September that you bonded three years ago, and Stormfly is the dragon you called as yours!" Thuggory said quickly.

"And I just explained in what sense that she's mine; I've cared for her the last three years. Stormfly is only three. Well, about to be around Christmas time, which is when most eggs are laid due to mating season," Hiccup stated.

"I-If you're not bonded to Stormfly, but have a bonded dragon…Then where is it?" Nadia asked.

"Right here," Hiccup motioned to Toothless. "I'm bonded to Toothless, have been since I was fifteen. We bonded when we gave one another full trust," he enlightened. I was shocked. Toothless was Hiccup's bonded dragon? No wonder Toothless hides out to avoid being seen, people would make a huge deal about it. And it made total sense why Toothless came to protect Hiccup against that Whispering Death now.

"WHAT!?" Eret, Thuggory, Ragna, Camicazi, and Nadia yelled in shocked, and possibly anger. I watched as it didn't very long for Toothless to jump into action; he walked up next to Hiccup, raising his tail to wrap around Hiccup's figure, then start snarling at the others.

"Yeah, I'd be careful if I were you. Toothless doesn't take lightly to threats regarding me, himself, or even Stormfly," Hiccup warned with his hand on Toothless's head. "Settle down, bud; they won't hurt me," Hiccup said calmly. Toothless calmed a bit but continued to growl a little. "Accept it, or don't; I don't care. Toothless is my bonded dragon, end of discussion. Astrid, Stormfly is now yours. However, until you've passed Midterms and receive your Dragon Classification Certificate, she will have to reside in Haddock Stables for legality matters just like my friend's dragons have to,"

"O-Okay; that's fine…" I nodded.

"You're welcome to visit her any time," Hiccup invited.

"Thank you," I said gently. The bell rang.

"And that's the end of class. We'll pick up Monday with the rest of Triple Stryke," Hiccup said as he grabbed his bags, then hopped into Toothless's saddle, opening the tail. "Come on, Stormfly," he called. Stormfly nudged me, licked my cheek, then darted off with Hiccup and Toothless towards Raven Point Hills. I guess Hiccup wasn't driving his Jeep today, or maybe one of his friends did? I didn't know. I was ready to get to Eret's, then take a nap. On the bright side; I have a bonded dragon!

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{4:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Trapp House)**_

Reaching Eret's, Astrid sighed heavily after laying in Eret's bed.

"Something wrong?" Eret asked.

"Just a bit tired…" Astrid closed her eyes. Eret sat beside her, kissing on her neck.

"You're stressed out about Midterms, and mourning your parents, babe. Why don't you let me distract you for a while?" Eret offered.

"I don't know, Er…It just…Doesn't seem right to do it right now," Astrid admitted.

"Please? At least let me try?" Eret pushed.

"Okay, fine…" Astrid grumbled. Eret grinned as he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. Astrid kissed him back, then Eret laid her down on the bed as the two began making out.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Monday, December 13, 2021-11:55 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

Astrid spent the entire weekend at Eret's; they had sex twice and saw her friends Saturday during the day and Sunday night for a little bit. However, now it was back to school and today wasn't a great day for Astrid. Today marked one month since her parents were killed in the house explosion. Granted, it technically happened on the 14th, but the fire had started on the 13th, and only moments after Astrid arrived was the explosion where they stopped answering the texts. Astrid still had the last messages she ever sent to both her mother and father; they offered both pain and slight comfort. The day seemed to draw out for her, but at least she would get to see Stormfly in Dragon Training. Currently, she sat at the usual table when Eret and her friends arrived five minutes later.

"Hey, guys," Astrid greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Camicazi asked.

"Uh…Eating lunch?" Astrid replied. "Why else would I be here?"

"This is our table," Thuggory stated.

"I know, that's why I'm sitting here. Pull up a chair, join me," Astrid smiled.

"I don't think she gets it," Gruffnut said, smirking a little. Okay, Astrid didn't like that.

"We don't want to join you, Astrid; we want you to move somewhere else," Ragna put her hands on her hips.

"Have I done something to piss you off? I mean, if this is about the bonding with a dragon thing; I'm sorry, I had no control of that…" Astrid replied, shocked at the way they were talking.

"You're not allowed to sit with us anymore," Nadia remarked. Astrid flinched at that, looking at them surprised.

"Yeah, you're not one of us," Camicazi added.

"We're friends," Astrid stated.

"We _were_ friends, Astrid, until you lied," Thuggory mentioned.

"Lied about what?" Astrid demanded quickly, not understanding.

"Pfft, really? You don't know? How about the fact you lied about having money?" Gruffnut informed. Astrid's eyes widened a bit.

"Wh-What?" Astrid gasped, slightly taken aback.

"You've been playing it like you got it all for a month, Astrid, but in reality; you don't have anything. We saw your diary entry about not getting a payout or the assets your parents supposedly left you. We knew you didn't have anything last week; that's why we stuck you with the bill at Archia Burger. Don't know how you pulled off making your card work, but we know you don't have anything coming. You're a freeloader," Ragna huffed.

"This table is for the populars, and you're not anymore," Camicazi said.

"You aren't one of us, so get lost… _Loser_ ," Nadia said. Astrid felt her heart skip a beat as Hiccup's words from the conversation in October rang loudly in her head.

 _ **/Flashback; October 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2021/**_

 _"Dude! You're friggin' loaded," Gruffnut pointed._

 _Hiccup shrugged casually. "So?"_

 _"You're one of us!" Camicazi stated._

 _"No, I'm Hiccup Haddock," Hiccup responded._

 _"You know what I mean! You're rich, so you're one of us," Camicazi mumbled._

 _"Oh, I see now. You think I'm one of you just because you realized that I'm not a third class citizen? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm gonna be_ _that_ _guy. I'm not one of you because I don't let money decide where I stand in life," Hiccup informed calmly. "Having all this doesn't change who I am. I could be living in a run-down trailer park and still be content as long as I have good friends and my family in my life,"_

 _"Ugh…" Eret stuck his tongue out. "All this and he still talks like a loser,"_

 _"Least I'm happy," Hiccup shrugged again. "If money is how you decide where people rate in your life, then you have a problem because what happens the day wealth isn't on your side? What if you ended up broke tomorrow? Would your friends still want to hang with you knowing you have nothing?" Hiccup asked as Eret didn't have a remark._

 _"Of course," Eret finally said._

 _"You had an awfully long pause for someone who seems so sure of himself," Hiccup remarked. "You're all friends because you share a common aspect of life; being rich and spoiled rotten making you think you have the right to control those around you. Newsflash, when the money is gone; you got nothing. You'll be thrown aside, regarded a loser just like me,"_

 _"That's not true," Astrid stated._

 _"Isn't it? Do you know why I don't tell people about all this, Astrid?" Hiccup inquired as the seven nodded. "Because I get to see who my real friends are if they think I'm just an average teenager with a regular, third-class life. Ruff, Tuff, Minden, Snot, Fishlegs, Heather…All of them didn't know I had all this when we met, and they still wanted to be friends. Once I revealed what I had; the relationships didn't change. Which means I know that if I ended up broke tomorrow morning; they'd still have my back and want to be around me. "You all, on the other hand; you'd throw a_ _friend_ _in need to the side in a heartbeat to save your images of being popular and not wanting to be seen with someone who isn't like you. This can be proven by the fact you decided to call me one of you when you learned I have all I do. You didn't like me before knowing, so I know that you aren't real friends," Hiccup took another drink. None of them had anything to say._

 _"Yeah, well…Who needs you," Thuggory huffed._

 _"Not about need. It's want. And apparently, you wanted me to join your little crew after learning the truth about me. Sorry. Rich or not; I'm not a spoiled brat like all of you, and I can say that confidently because you got pissed when I wouldn't agree. Friends like you come and go, just like money can do the same. My friendships don't revolve around money. I know my friends won't betray me no matter my position in life; I can turn my back and not worry that one of them will stab me in it. At the end of the day; I know who my real friends are…" Hiccup smirked a little. "Do you?" the seven tensed a bit, glancing at one another, then back at Hiccup. "And that's game, boys, and girls. Better luck next time," he winked._

 _ **/End Flashback/**_

"Get lost, Astrid," Nadia stated coldly.

"We don't want you around anymore," Thuggory added. "Leave us alone,"

Astrid couldn't believe this; she quickly looked at Eret. "B-Babe? A little help?" Eret glanced at her, then back to his phone. "Y-You aren't going to let them do this, are you?"

Ragna wrapped her arms around Eret's waist as he put his arm over her shoulder, smirking at Astrid almost. "Yeah, about that…I'm on their side, Ast. Truth is; we planned this last week, to ditch you because you're broke now, and didn't bother to tell us,"

"I've got money, there was just a legalization problem that Hiccup's dad is trying to fix…Everything is frozen right now until the matter is handled…" Astrid defended.

"Doesn't matter; I'm bored with you and Ragna is a way better fuck," Eret said. Astrid's eyes widened, tears brimming now.

"Eret and I have been fucking behind your back since before Senior Year started, like in August; he has a much better time with me," Ragna snickered. "Face it, Astrid. You're no longer one of us, so beat it…" Unable to say anything, Astrid rose from the chair and walked out quickly. The popular group laughed, then took their seats to eat. Hiccup watched Astrid leave and wanted to ask if she was okay but he knew it wasn't the best time. Astrid, on the other hand, had run right to the girl's bathroom and cried hard. She'd been cheated on for the past four months, freshly dumped, and now ditched by the people she honestly believed were her friends.


	21. Depend On Me

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Depend On Me

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Monday, December 13, 2021-2:00 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; DT Field)**_

Astrid was not seen for the rest of lunch. Fishlegs, Heather, and Hiccup didn't see her in Science after lunch hour either. However, going to Dragon Training; Hiccup arrived first and found Astrid sitting in the grass around the side of the stables. Part of him felt sorry for what she went through in the cafeteria, and then again; he found it difficult to feel bad when Astrid put herself in this position. Hiccup warned them all that this could happen, and they all denied the allegation of abandoning a friend in their time of need. Hiccup even said it last Thursday when Eret and the others left it on Astrid to pay for their meal knowing she'd just lost everything. At the same time, Hiccup wasn't sure that bit was right. It seemed there was mention that Astrid never told them until today that she was entitled to her parent's fortunes, but there was some snag in receiving them. What Hiccup did feel awful about was that Astrid learned today Eret and Ragna had been hooking up, and Eret cheating on Astrid since August, which was while Astrid did still have money, a home, and her parents. Hiccup tried to tell Astrid last Thursday to remember what he'd told her, and it seemed that she now understood what he was trying to get at.

Hiccup moved near Astrid, hearing her cry. "Astrid?" Instantly, she lifted her head and wiped her eyes.

"What do you want?" Astrid snapped coldly. Normally, Hiccup might take offense to it, but he knew what happened to cause this.

"As this class starts at 2 pm, and I'm your teacher; it's my job to ensure my students are okay," Hiccup said.

"Drop the act that you care, Hiccup. You and your friends sit at the table next to mi-The one I used to sit at," Astrid corrected. "You saw what happened, and Odin knows you don't give a shit what happened to me. Wasn't it you who just said back in November that Karma comes around? Well, there you go; I guess I got what I was asking for, right?"

"Astrid, I didn't mean it like-," Hiccup tried.

"That's what happened! Just a few days after you told me that Karma comes back to those who do wrong, my parents were killed in a fire, I have no family left. I lost my home, my fortune, my boyfriend, and friends. So I must have gotten what I deserved for being a bitch all these years," Astrid got up now, trying not to let the tears fall once more. "I've basically lost everything, and right now, I don't need the fucking _I told you so_ , fake image of you caring how hurt I am from you! Just leave me alone! This is all your fault!"

Okay, now Hiccup was slightly taken aback by her remark. "How is this my fault?"

"Everything was perfect in my life! And then you had to come out as the kid is secretly loaded. You cause my friends to get jealous and go after you. You're the one who riled them all up with the _do you know who your real friends are_ thing. You even said it to me last Thursday…That they purposely set me up, and no surprise; you were fucking right…I don't need to get attacked by you!" a few tears slipped.

At this point, Hiccup felt like he couldn't say anything else because of how upset she was. Hiccup knew it wasn't his fault, and he knew that one day, Astrid might take those things back. For now, though; it was best to walk away and leave her be. Hiccup sighed, then moved away from her to see the others coming onto the field.

"Let's pick up Friday's lesson with the rest of Triple Stryke," Hiccup told them.

"Where's Astrid?" Heather asked.

"I'm sure wherever Astrid is; she'll find a way to get the information from the lesson, so she doesn't fall behind," Hiccup informed, and then started on Triple Stryke's again. Astrid remained around the side of the building, crying silently, and listening to Hiccup talk about the dragon from last Friday. Astrid was a little surprised that Hiccup didn't give away where she actually was, and truthfully, she did feel sorry for yelling at Hiccup; he did only come over to ask if she was okay. Astrid knew it wasn't Hiccup's fault, and she shouldn't have taken her frustration out on him just because she was missing her parents while trying to cope with everything else going on.

 _I should apologize to him…_ Astrid thought. However, she wouldn't do it right now. Maybe after class, or in a couple of days after she figured out what the hell she was going to do now that she'd been ditched by her friends and ex; Astrid had no place to go except her car due to having no money. This, though, was a bit of an eye-opener for her; Astrid knew that she needed to get a job.

 **. . .**

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Wednesday, December 15, 2021-9:50 am}**_

 _ **(Health Class)**_

As if things couldn't get worse…I've lost my car too. I thought I had more time with it, but as it turns out; the insurance policy was canceled due to the sudden death of my parents. Also, the car was repossessed by a company because my parents had still been making payments on it. With them gone now, the payments stopped and that meant these people could legally take the car back as theirs. I managed to use the last two days to look for a job before the car was taken, but I hadn't gotten any callbacks for an interview. As for a place to live…I've been staying in homeless shelters at night; there's one that's only about ten minutes from the school. I'd go there at night around 8 pm because I'd look for a job after school. I'd get a basic peanut butter and jelly, or ham and cheese, sometimes it would be soup for food. There was usually always bottles of water to drink. I'd get a cot, one pillow, and a blanket. In the morning; there were often rolls with butter, simple breakfast foods.

Leaving the shelter, I would get to the school for 7:15 am and use the girl's locker room to shower quick and get into my uniform before the 7:30 am bell. For now, this was all I could do until I got a job and was able to maybe stay in a motel room until Stoick cleared up this mess with the wills. The unfortunate problem is that my phone is off, and I downloaded an app that would let me get phone calls, but I need wifi for it to work. Thankfully, there's wifi at the school and most of the places around the city. I knew I couldn't be at the shelter for long; it was a temporary fix to a somewhat stabilized problem. I needed a backup plan, and right now; I don't have one. I have no job, no money, and no place to go. All I have to my name is my two suitcases, my wifi only hone, and Stormfly, but she's residing at Hiccup's for now.

Right now, I'm in my Health class. After Midterms; we'd move into Physical Education. I hated Health because I have it with everyone. Hiccup's and his friends, plus my former friends and ex-boyfriend. Nobody knew my situation, and I was determined to keep it that way for as long as I was able. I just needed to make it to graduation, and then I'd probably never have to see any of them again. None of this was ideal, but I had to make the best of what I did have. I just prayed for a job to come through; I didn't care what it was; I'd take anything at this point, and I've put in applications for employment everywhere close to the shelter and school.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:55 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Training Field)**_

Well, we've started Wooly Howl as of today, and Hiccup gave us the remaining five minutes to relax until the last bell. After completing Triple Stryke on Monday, we began on Snow Wraith and finished that Tuesday while starting Wooly Howl through the rest of today. Tomorrow would begin Night Fury; the last of the Strike Class dragons. We would conclude that on Friday, and then we were on vacation starting on the 20th, five days before Christmas. As it also turns out, we would be back to school Monday, the 27th through Thursday the 31st, then we'd have Friday the 1st of January 2022 off, along with the weekend before returning on the 3rd for Midterms. Starting on the 10th, we were in bonding, training, and flying for the rest of the year. I was already bonded, so I didn't need to worry about much in that department just like Snotlout, Minden, Heather, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

I saw Hiccup sitting against Toothless, and working on something in his notebook. I really should go apologize to him for my outburst on Monday. Moving closer to him, Toothless began to growl, and I hesitated. Hiccup looked up to see me and put his hand out to relax the Night Fury.

"Yes, Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for Monday when I yelled at you and said it was your fault all these things happened. I didn't mean what I said; I was just upset and frustrated about things. I do appreciate you coming to check on me, even after to horrible way I've treated you over the years…" I said sincerely.

Hiccup stared at me a few moments, then he sighed closing his eyes. "Apology accepted. I knew it was out of frustration, that's why I walked away," he said. I nodded, preparing to get my backpack to leave as the bell rang. The others quickly bolted off, and Hiccup stood to pack up his few items. "Astrid?" I turned to face him. "I saw your job application on the desk at Archia Burger," my eyes widened a little, and I looked down, embarrassed. "The other manager tried to call you for an interview and said you didn't answer. Have you found another job?" he inquired.

I shook my head. "No…My…Phone doesn't work without wifi, and the place I'm staying does have any," I admitted.

"Come in Friday at 3:30 pm for an interview, if that time is okay?" Hiccup told me as I was a bit surprised.

"O-Oh! Yes, that's fine…Thank you," I replied. Hiccup nodded as he threw his leg over Toothless's saddle, then the two were in the sky. I took a deep breath. Okay, so I had an interview! It wasn't a definite job, but at least I had my foot in the door at one place. Maybe things were finally turning around for me.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, December 17, 2021-3:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

At 3 pm after school, I walked to Archia Burger and used the bathroom there first to freshen up a little before stepping out and standing before the counter where the cashier was.

"Will you be dining in today?" the female asked.

"Oh, no; I have an interview at 3:30?" I said.

"What's your name?" the woman inquired.

"Astrid Hofferson," I replied. The female moved down the line a bit into a side office slightly, then she returned with a smile. The girl handed me a cup.

"Just get a drink and have a seat; he'll be right out," the woman informed. I nodded, thanking her with a small head bow. I got myself a drink, then sat down at the table by the window in the corner. Five minutes passed before I saw Hiccup come around the counter with a few papers in his hand. And I keep forgetting he works here and is a manager.

"Sorry for the wait, Astrid. The other manager called out with a cold, so I get to do your interview," Hiccup enlightened.

"No problem, and tis the season to get sick, right?" I joked a little.

"Don't even get me started," Hiccup smiled. "Now, for this matter," he set the papers down. "The cool thing is that I already know a lot of this information, so we don't have to go through to check if it's right or not. Except for this number thing; we have to be able to contact you if necessary,"

"I just don't have the money to pay the bill…Hence the job searching…" I sighed lightly, embarrassed.

"I figured as much after everything you said on Monday. My dad is working on it, but finding a loophole in situations like these is very difficult; he's even got other lawyers he works with frequently looking it over," Hiccup informed.

"I appreciate that," I nodded.

"As far as hours you can work…Obviously; I know your school hours. I work Monday through Friday 3:30 to 10:30 pm. After graduation; I'll likely be here day shifts from opening to like 5 pm," Hiccup stated. "This says you can work any time after 3 pm to close Monday to Friday, and you're free on the weekends,"

"That's right," I confirmed. "I'll take anything I can get…"

"That's a good work ethic to have, Astrid. The problem is that with you being seventeen still, the labor laws won't let you work past 10:30 pm, like myself. And you can't work more than eight hours each shift. Also, this job doesn't allow employees to work seven days straight, we all get two days off, well, except for management. I take the weekends for Runa, naturally. Unless, of course; she has a doctor's appointment, then I choose one of the weekdays. Even after you turn eighteen, you could work longer hours, but the two days off bit remains," Hiccup stated.

"I understand," I responded.

"Great. No military work, no criminal history, no past job experience. I know you have transportation-," Hiccup began.

"Ac-Actually…I don't…" I stopped him.

"What do you mean? I know you have a car, the blue Porsche?" Hiccup asked.

I shook my head at him, looking down a bit. "I don't have it anymore…" I said. "I-It's in the shop," I lied quickly.

"How did you get here from the school then? A ride?" Hiccup questioned.

"I-I walked twenty minutes…" I fiddled with my fingers. Hiccup stared at me. "I've been walking everywhere until the repairs are made. It's okay, really. I don't mind…"

"As long as you're sure. Uh, you've seen the uniform here for crew members. We provide the shirt and hat or visor. You're in charge of the pants and work-safe shoes. Black, non-slip ones. And the pants have to be black too," Hiccup said.

"I have the black pants…Probably not the shoes," I sighed. Gods, I hated feeling so vulnerable like this.

"Do you have two forms of identification?" Hiccup inquired.

"My license and social security card, or my birth certificate…" I named, hoping that would be alright.

"All three are acceptable. Now…Starting pay here is minimum wage, which is $9.00 an hour. If you stay with us for six months; we bump it to $10. Make it a year, and you'll have $10.50 an hour. After that; it stays unless you move up to Shift Supervisor, Assistant Manager, or Manager. Each position makes something different. Me, I'm a Shift Supervisor, but I'm moving to Manager once I turn eighteen; I'm only not one now because legal reasons," Hiccup shrugged.

"So why does your badge say _Manager_?" I wondered.

"Cheaper to have a tag that says one thing as opposed to like five different ones. The shirts are the same too," Hiccup informed.

"Ah," I nodded, understanding.

"Anyway, this is about you. The other guy wasn't going to hire you because he knows that you and your…former friends have given me plenty of trouble. But since I'm doing the interview…I personally have no problems hiring you, as long as you're willing to work, Astrid. And no personal drama here. We don't tolerate any no call/no shows. Everyone works together and does their part to make things flow. If you're here; it's to work with the team to have a smooth shift. I won't go over everything right now, most of this information is saved for orientation. So, I'm going to hire you as a crew member employee to Archia Burger. I am working Saturday and Sunday this week because I needed two days off on Tuesday and Thursday. I want you to come back in tomorrow at 8:30 am, and we'll do your orientation, which is all the legal paperwork," Hiccup stated calmly.

"I can do that. Thank you, Hiccup…You have no idea what this means to me," I told him, slightly relieved. Hiccup nodded, shaking my hand. As he pulled away, though, I felt something there. Looking, I saw it to be a $100 bill. I stared at Hiccup, shocked.

"Turn your phone back on, and get the black, non-slip shoes for work. I will see you tomorrow morning," Hiccup said as he stood up holding the papers, then returned behind the counter. I couldn't believe it; Hiccup just gave me money to get my phone on and get what I needed to work at Archia Burger. I was stunned but very grateful to him. As soon as I got paid…I was paying him back. I knew, though, I couldn't let Hiccup down; he gave me this job because he knows I desperately need it. I don't have my parents, my home, my car, any money, friends, or a boyfriend anymore. This was me, on my own; I can only depend on myself for survival now.


	22. Job Training

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Job Training

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, December 18, 2021-8:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

I arrived as instructed by Hiccup at 8:20 am, but it didn't appear anyone else had come just yet. I suppose I was ten minutes early. I was still shocked that Hiccup chose to hire me when he said that the other manager hadn't planned on after realizing who I was; one of the people who had given Hiccup trouble in the past. However, Hiccup was hiring me. I didn't know his motive behind doing so, but right now; I'm not about to question the man who has given me a job, and gave me money to turn my phone on, and get the required shoes I needed to work at Archia Burger. Right now, I'm just sitting at the table out front wearing the black pants, shoes and one of my coats to block some of the cold December morning air. I made sure to have my license, social, and birth certificate with me, and I carried all that in my small purse. I was nervous; I've never worked a day in my life, not even chores. I was praying to the Gods that I didn't mess this up.

As the minutes ticked by, I saw two more cars pull in and park along the side, but no one got out yet. Finally, I watched Hiccup's Jeep pull into a spot, then shut off. Hiccup's driver side door opened as he got out, then closed it while moving across the lot. I saw three other employees begin walking forward and following Hiccup. I got off the bench to the table, then walked along the sidewalk to meet him by the left door.

"You know; I would have picked you up, so you didn't have to walk, Astrid," Hiccup stated as he got the key to the door, placing it inside and turning it to unlocked the door and we could go inside.

"It's okay. The place I'm staying is only a ten-minute walk," I replied as the others got inside, then me as Hiccup locked the door behind him. Hiccup moved to the back quickly to turn off the alarm before it sounded, then he flipped on the lights.

"So, you're the new girl?" asked one of the males with a shaved head of brown hair and hazel eyes. I nodded a bit shyly. Hiccup returned seconds later, standing next to me.

"I hired her yesterday afternoon; her name is Astrid," Hiccup said calmly. "Astrid, this is Ander Kongur, Brenna Grayson, and Natalie Heift,"

"Nice to meet you," Astrid lifted her hand a little to wave.

"Where do you want us?" Brenna, a girl with platinum blonde hair and purple eyes, asked with a smile.

"Ander, grill. Brenna, lettuce, and salad. Nat, sandwich line. We got Frode coming in at 9:30 am, and he can handle onions, pickles, tomatoes, and sauce bottles. Natalie, if you finish sandwich line early, you can help Brenna out," Hiccup said.

"Got it," the three replied, then split off to get started.

"What should I do?" I asked.

"You're coming with me to the office to get your paperwork handled," Hiccup informed. I nodded, following him to the back office, which was really small. Once inside, Hiccup went into one of the cupboards and began rummaging around for a couple things. "You turned your phone on, right?"

"Yes, a-and the shoes too. These are the right ones, right? I just asked the cashier if they were non-slip…" I inquired. Hiccup glanced, then nodded his head approvingly. "I never did thank you, for giving me the money…I promise I'll pay you back,"

"Don't worry about it; you act like I gave you a lot," Hiccup shrugged a bit.

"$100 is a lot for someone in my position right now…" I sighed.

"It'll work out, Astrid," Hiccup assured. "Trust in that. Good things come to those who wait," he added while pulling out two short-sleeved shirts; both were a darker olive green with the yellow words; **Archia Burger** printed on the sides of the sleeves. Hiccup also pulled out a gray apron with the logo for the establishment in the middle. Lastly, Hiccup brought out a hat and visor. "Take your pick," he held both up.

"Visor, please?" I said. Hiccup handed it to me, then put the hat back.

"Alright; you get two shirts, two aprons, and one visor. I'll make your name tag while you throw on the shirt, and tuck it in too," Hiccup instructed. I nodded, slipped the shirt over my head and doing as he said to with it. "If we're not in business hours, like now which is between 8:30 and 10:30 am; you don't have to have the hat, or apron on for the opening. Same goes for at night; 10:30 pm; it can come off for closing. You won't have to worry about closing; you won't work that late until after graduation. Well, if you want to,"

"Got it," I nodded.

"Alright, basics of this job are straightforward. Males have to be clean-shaven, and girls have to keep their hair tied back. So that thing you do where you leave the side pieces down when your hair is braided…Don't do that. Clip them back, or pull it with the rest. You know…Good personal hygiene," Hiccup informed.

"Understood," I replied.

"No call/No shows; you get three, and then you're terminated. Call Outs; try not to do a lot of those. The official reasons are due to being sick or an emergency, and though it sucks; your reasoning is excused if you bring proof. If you do call out, do it at least two hours before your shift that way we have time to find cover," Hiccup explained. "Sexual Harassment is not tolerated, and if you are a victim; you bring it to a manager's attention right away. You will not get in trouble for filing a complaint. And I told you yesterday that if you're gonna be an employee here; you do the work. We don't take shortcuts here, and we pay you to work, not be lazy and mess around,"

"But we do have a lot of fun!" Natalie giggled, I noticed she had black hair and purple eyes as she walked by with a few pans in her arms.

"Yes, we do, as long as we're still working," Hiccup enlightened. "Now, let's get the paperwork squared away," he stated.

 **. . .**

 _ **{9:00 am}**_

It took a little time, but Hiccup and I got all my paperwork finished. I was still nervous though, I didn't know what came next.

"What now?" I wondered.

"Well, I'm gonna pencil you into the schedule for next week. As I'm the one training you; you'll be here on my shifts, at least part of them. I work 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm, so you'll likely be here from like 4 pm to 8 or 9 pm, for now. We don't like to overwhelm the new employees with work, and we have a pretty full crew, so I can't give you a ton of hours," Hiccup informed.

"I'll take anything," I told him.

"Good attitude to have," Hiccup replied. "You'll work today and Sunday, that finishes off this week. Next week; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. All 4 pm to 8 pm, okay?"

"I'm not about to complain," Astrid stated.

"Perfect. Schedules go up on Fridays, so if you're not working to be able to check it; just call by Sunday night and ask whichever manager you speak with to tell you what you're working. Fridays are also paydays. Now, as you're just starting, you will get your first check the Friday after next. So on the 31st,"

"Why so long?" I questioned.

"Eh; it's a thing that a lot of places do. They hold back the first week's check," Hiccup said. "Now, come on; I'll show you around to get you familiar with the layout and where things are. Oh, and we have to get you clocked in. I will edit your time to say you've been here since 8:30 am, though,"

"Thanks," I nodded as Hiccup led me out to the front counter.

"Alright, this whole area is the dining room past the counter. You've got the condiment stand, tables, drink machine, and bathrooms around the corner there along with a storage closet with the vacuum, spare gloves, rock salt for outside, napkins…You get it," I nodded to him. "Right here is the two front registers, sink on the left, and to your right is Drive-Thru. Behind you is lemonade, and chili. This small counter space is cheese and diced onions for the chili. There's also a mini fridge down here for salad dressings, sour cream, and butter. Under the counter is your lids, cups, and extras like ketchup, mayo, crackers, and dipping sauces," Hiccup motioned to each thing as he explained it.

"And this is all…Front Counter?" I asked.

"You got it, and whoever is on the front is in charge of making sure out there stays clean," Hiccup said. "Alright down this section on the left is second side sandwiches and salad station. In the Summer, we open the second side to make sandwiches JUST for front counter. This is also where the extra salad-making things go. On the left wall is the ice machine, and the vanilla and strawberry milkshake machines," Hiccup showed me.

"Isn't there a chocolate one too?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it's on the Drive-Thru side. Don't ask why it's not with these two because I have no idea," Hiccup shrugged. "If you keep down this way," he guided me and motioned left again. "You find yourself at the prep station. It's also the dishwashing one, and a little storage for the salad bowls and lids, the pans, covers, etc." Hiccup continued. "This side of the rack on the right is cups, lids, coffee cups, fry cartons, forks, spoons, knives,"

"So all paper products?" I looked at him.

"Yes! Very good," Hiccup nodded. "Through this narrow path, you'll see the big and little buns for sandwiches; these are the frozen ones, and they get pulled in the morning to thaw for the night, and partial use in the morning. It's always in a rotation to make sure we don't run out," he added. "At the back here, we have the walk-in fridge, and inside that, another door to the freezer," Hiccup led me there, and showed me inside. It took about five minutes, but I was able to see how it was set up and the general gist of where everything was in both walk-ins. "This little corner back here is the employee break area. Coats, hats, purses, bags, all back here. And coming around again, you find all the dipping sauces, ketchup, sugar, ice coffee flavor bottles, sandwich wrappers, the thawed buns and wraps, croutons…Side items," he finished.

"I think I got it so far," I told him.

"It's effortless once you start walking through it back and forth to get things. So, straight up this way is Grill. All the chicken and fry bags are stored in this fridge, and then you've got the oven, flat-top stove, big fryolator, smaller ones too. That's all right side. Left is the meat flat-top, and spaces to keep it for the sandwich maker. This small area holds the meat on top for easy access, and then there's a fridge down here for extra sleeves of the singles and juniors," Hiccup explained.

"What's that area back there?" I pointed to another spot past the chicken fridge.

"Back Cash; we use that more in the Summer. It's another register for someone to take the cash for orders in Drive-Thru, then when the car pulls up to that second window," Hiccup pointed to the area he named Drive-Thru earlier. "It's just handing out drinks and the bag of food. It makes things a bit easier on the order taker,"

"Oh, okay," I nodded understanding. Hiccup showed me sandwich station, then the Drive-Thru section.

"Alright, so this is Fries, Corner, and Order Taker. Fries covers dropping the fries and calling to Grill when nuggets and tenders are needed. The corner is an in-between position; it's up to whoever does this spot to grab nuggets, fries, or tenders from the waiting rack, bag it up with the sandwiches. Basically, it prepares things to go out the window. Order taker will do precisely as the title says, and get the drinks. They will also cash out orders if Back Cash isn't open. All these bins hold extra items, you have your black and green teas here, both labeled. Over there is the ice and hot coffee with flavors, cups, lids, sugar, and cream, or milk. Both are in the fridge below the counter. Salads will also be in there, this fridge is juice boxes, white and chocolate milk, water bottles, more dressing," Hiccup stated.

"And we're right back where we started; I gotta say it seems easy enough to navigate," I admitted. "What next?" I looked at him.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:45 am}**_

The rest of opening was easy; I helped Hiccup with a few things and watched how the others did their jobs. I knew at some point that I'd likely get to do the same positions, so I might as well see how it's done. At 10:30 am, Hiccup unlocked to doors to the public. Frode Knight; dyed white hair and blue eyes came in at 9:30 am. I had watched as Hiccup positioned everyone where they needed to be, and I was more or less staying at Hiccup's side, doing whatever he asked. From 10:30 am to about 11:15 am; it was relatively slow, just a few customers at the front counter and in the drive-thru. However, then it started picking up, and I began to panic if I could do this job or not. Right now there is a line of six up front, and the drive-thru has four cars in. And people just kept arriving.

"Alright, team; we've hit lunch rush! Keep your cool, ask for help if you need it, and stick together!" Hiccup called to the employees. I watched Brenna on the front counter, and Frode on drive-thru just nod but stay focused on their tasks. Ander was on Grill, and Natalie took sandwiches, which she had to make for both front and drive-thru. Hiccup was on the corner, and I guess I was next to Hiccup, but more in front of fries. Hiccup had shown me a little on how it worked, what went in where, then where I should put it.

"Hiccup, I need help running," Brenna called when three more people came in.

"Astrid, can you help Brenna out by running food for her?" Hiccup inquired.

"I-I don't know what to do," I said, panicked.

"It's very straightforward," Hiccup informed, leading me to the front counter. "This screen tells you everything you need to know, okay? This order is first; it says the name, then what the customer ordered. Right behind you is where sandwiches come out, and Nikki will keep them in order. Fries, chicken nuggets, or tenders; you grab from fry station and set it either on a tray if they are eating here, or in a bag for take out. The screen tells you Dine In or Take Out. If they want any dipping sauces, that comes up as well. I'll show you once," Hiccup stated. "First order is for Henrik, and it's dine in," Hiccup showed the name and what the meal would be for. "He ordered a number two, the Viking Double with medium fries and drink. Brenna took care of giving him the cup, so all you have to do is grab this first sandwich, and set it on the try like this. Then, come over here to fries, get the medium," he demonstrated by doing it, then returned to the tray. "And set it down here. Once you check that the bag or tray has everything for the order, call it out. Henrik!" A man with caramel brown hair and honey brown eyes walked up to the counter. "All set, sir. Enjoy, and have a good day," Hiccup said with a genuine smile and cheerfulness in his voice. The man smiles back, taking the tray.

"Thank you!" Henrik replied, then turned and walked away to get a table to eat his food.

"See, that's all it is. And once you send the order out; just press the number one on this pad to clear it off and move to the next one," Hiccup showed me what he meant. I was still nervous. "You can do this, Astrid. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't think you could. I know it's not something you're used to doing, but the more you do this; the easier it becomes for you. Do your best, and if you run into trouble; I'm like two steps away," Hiccup said.

"Okay," I nodded. Hiccup put his hand on my shoulder with a smile, then he went back to help Frode on Drive-Thru. I took a deep breath and then looked at the screen to find the next order, and start filling it.

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:20 pm}**_

I was beginning to get the hang of it; I wasn't fast, but I understood how it worked and I hadn't really encountered any significant problems. It was new for me to be working a job, but it wasn't awful like my former friends and ex-boyfriend had made it out to be. Hiccup had been working here since he was like fifteen, and he loved it. Also, Hiccup did a great job managing the other employees; he never let them get stressed out, rushed over within a minute if called for something, and if he was needed on another position; he went to it to help out. It was still incredibly busy, worse now than before.

"Excuse me," I heard a voice say as I looked over from the screen. I saw a woman that I'd served before standing there with her sandwich in hand.

"Yes, ma'am?" I replied.

"This was supposed to be a grilled chicken, and I got a burger…" the female informed. Another man came over, holding his sandwich as well.

"I got a grilled chicken when I was supposed to get a burger with no lettuce or pickle," the male stated.

I didn't know what to do. "I, uh…I'm sorry about that," I said quickly.

"Well, can you fix it?" the man asked in a tone that made me think he was upset. I just kind of stood there, not sure what I was supposed to do. I looked to my right and didn't see Hiccup on the corner.

"What can I do for you two?" Hiccup's voice drew me to look to my left as he was standing there.

"I was supposed to get grilled chicken," the woman said.

"And me a burger with no lettuce or pickle," the man said afterward, both of them showing their wrong sandwiches to him.

"I'm sorry about that, and not a problem; I'll have two new sandwiches made for you," Hiccup smiled, taking the wrong ones from the customers, tossing them in a bin, then moving to where Natalie was on sandwiches. "Can I get a grilled chicken, and a Viking Single with no lettuce or pickle, please?"

"Sure thing, Hiccup!" Natalie replied. Hiccup looked at me now.

"Hey, it's okay, Astrid. It happens when it's this busy; sometimes you just grab the wrong one. Any time it happens, just apologize, take the old ones, toss them away, then tell whoever is on sandwiches what you need to be remade," Hiccup explained. I nodded to him. When the sandwiches came up, Hiccup handed them off to their rightful customer. Both guests walked away smiling. "You'll get the hang of it with more practice, so don't beat yourself up over one little thing, okay? Always remember, that even if it wasn't you; the customer is always right, so just take the necessary steps to correct the problem. If you aren't sure, or they still aren't satisfied, call for a manager to deal with it,"

"I will," I responded.

"Perfect. You're doing a great job for the first day," Hiccup said, and somehow that made me feel a little better. "Alright, now let's get back to getting these customers their food. And you can clock out at 2 pm to leave for the day. I'll have two more coming in, and I can't have us being overstaffed," he stated. "Uh, come in again tomorrow at 10:30 am, okay?"

"Can do," I said, then went back to filling orders, but making sure that I grabbed the right sandwiches. Alright, so my first day of job training hasn't been awful. Hiccup seemed to believe I could do it, and strangely; I feel that I can. It would just take a little more time to get used to things in working a real job and taking care of myself.


	23. On The Streets

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 **(Author's Note; I do not have a chapter release schedule. I have a bunch done, just haven't posted them yet to keep up the suspense.)**

On The Streets

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **(Tuesday, December 28, 2021-2:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Dragon Training)**_

Working at Archia Burger was interesting, but at least I knew what I was doing for the most part. I've been training as corner, fries, and front-runner. I still don't have it down entirely, but I'm getting there. Hiccup said that after the New Year began if I'm doing okay with those first three positions; he'd start showing me register, then once I felt comfortable with that, drive-thru. I'm in no rush to get there, though. Hiccup said we might attempt sandwiches and grill, but not for a while as he wanted to make sure I had the easier jobs down first. I worked the Saturday and Sunday with Hiccup, then Monday and Tuesday too. I had Wednesday off and worked Thursday. I didn't work Christmas Eve, which was the Friday, or Christmas Day because it was closed. And according to Hiccup, Archia Burger closes at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone at the shelter. I would have liked to believe that my things would get better, as Hiccup assured that it would at some point. However…One other thing is becoming a concern of mine.

I was due for my period on Christmas Day, and I didn't get it. And here we are three days later on the 28th, and still nothing. I want to chalk it up to stress of everything going on. I lost my parents, my home, the money, the people I thought were my friends and the man I believed loved me. I wanted to hope that maybe because I'm seventeen, my body is still changing, and that might be why I haven't gotten it yet. But I couldn't. The Friday and Saturday before Eret admitted to cheating on me for like four months, and the other six abandoned me…Eret and I had been having sex. As soon as I realized my period was late, I took out my IUD. It's not like I needed it; with my situation, I wouldn't be getting laid any time soon. Also, if I was pregnant…I didn't want the birth control to hurt the baby. I plan on finding out as soon as I get paid, which Hiccup said would be on the 31st, New Year's Eve. If I'm pregnant; I know it's Eret's. And that I would have been four weeks along on the 25th. It's only been three days since then, so on the 31st, I'll likely be five weeks.

Being pregnant right now would be awful because of everything going on. I don't have any health insurance, and Odin knows that I probably won't be able to afford it. I doubt Eret would help me out. The kindest thing I could do for the baby would be to give it up for adoption, though; it would break my heart to do. However, I can't bring a child into this world and raise it with how things are. I just needed to wait a few more days, then I could know for sure, and get things going as far as how to take care of myself while pregnant. Work-wise; I have tonight off, but I had shifts for tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday. All from 4 pm to 8 pm. In school, I sat at lunch alone and didn't eat because the lunch account I had is empty finally. I didn't have much of an appetite anyway; the smell made me want to puke, which is another reason I think I might be pregnant. I get sick at random; I don't always throw up, but nausea seems constant. Yesterday, the 27th; we returned to school and as expected; everything is preparing for Midterms next Monday.

I really wasn't feeling well, and could barely focus on Hiccup going over things we'd need to know for the exam. I really just wanted to lay down for a bit, maybe get something to deal with my headache. I heard a loud roar as I shook my head and snapped out of my daze to see Hiccup lowering his hands from his mouth.

"Well, that got your attention," Hiccup stated. "I called your name like five times, Astrid,"

"I-I'm sorry…I guess I'm just out of it," I muttered. Seconds after saying it, Toothless jumped out of the trees and instantly as Hiccup's side.

"Hi, bud," Hiccup rubbed his head. Toothless crooned, looking around for trouble. "No, I'm okay. No danger. I was just trying to get Astrid to come back down to class," Hiccup told him. Toothless huffed at Hiccup, then laid down with his head on his front paws, then using his tail to cover his eyes and relax. "You're not usually one to fade out of lessons, especially with it being a week until Midterms," Hiccup said to me.

"Tired…And not feeling well Hiccup…" I sighed.

"Why don't you go to the doctors, Astrid?" Nadia said.

"Oh, wait…You probably can't because you don't have insurance anymore," Camicazi snickered.

"Or the money to pay off an uninsured visit…" Gruffnut added. I looked down a little.

"Lay off," Dagur told them. Hiccup checked his watch.

"Astrid, why don't you head inside to see Mala. Maybe he has something that could help," Hiccup suggested.

"B-But the review," I mentioned.

"I think you'll be alright to miss it; you do well in this class. Go to the nurse," Hiccup handed me an orange pass. All the passes were different. White was office, green was the bathroom, orange was the nurse, student services with counselors for us to talk to was blue and yellow was guidance office.

"Okay," I stated getting up and moving off the field towards the school.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, December 31, 2021-3:40 pm}**_

 _ **{Homeless Shelter}**_

I had work today in about twenty minutes; I'm at the shelter now to get my work clothes and shoes. I left the school at 3:05 pm, walked fifteen minutes. As soon as I got here; I grabbed one of the ham and cheese sandwiches left over from lunch, then a water bottle. I took ten minutes to eat that, and by the time I finished, it was 3:30. I got the things I needed for work and prepared to leave. At least I'd get paid today; that was the highlight of it being New Year's Eve for me. Who knows, maybe 2022 would offer me a fresh start? I suppose I needed one thing to hold on to.

"Astrid," one of the shelter workers stopped me.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I did tell you when you came to us that we run drug testing on the first of every month, right?" the man asked.

I shook my head. "No, I don't believe so," I said.

"Oh, well…Would you be willing to do yours now? We're just trying to cut back on the number of people we line up to do it tomorrow," he inquired.

"Um, sure. Yeah," I responded. There was no reason not to, I still had twenty minutes before my shift, and it would only take me ten minutes to get there.

"Great. You just have to pee in this cup for me," the man held it out. I took the cup and moved to the bathroom. A minute later, I finished, then came out and handed it to him. "Thank you," he smiled and walked off after setting it on a black tray. I left the shelter and began my walk to work.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, January 7, 2022-9:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Streets of Archia Isle)**_

Well, Midterms are over. I took my last one, Dragon Training, today at school. I feel like I did alright on all of them. There was one every day, so Monday, I took Algebra. Tuesday was Language Arts. On Wednesday, I actually made two; History and Health. Thursday was Science. And, as I said, today was Dragon Training. Hiccup's was probably the hardest because there were questions regarding all seven dragon classifications. Every exam was two hours long, and then the rest of the courses for the day would be slightly shortened to accommodate that. The way they did it was that on Monday, I took Algebra first as it's my first-period class. On Tuesday, though I typically start my day with Algebra, I began with Language Arts. Wednesday was History and Health back to back. It was a pattern, and I guess the easiest way to do things according to the school.

I loved getting my paycheck last Friday. It was a decent amount even after taxes were taken out. I used Saturday morning to go to the bank and get it deposited. However, money or not; I was going to be smart with it this time. I would only use it if I really needed to. So also on Saturday, I got myself a cheap pregnancy test. Sure enough; it was positive. I'm pregnant. And by my guess, I'm about to be six weeks along. A month and a half. It took me some time to settle with the news, and now I'm debating on telling Eret or not. I know he won't help me, and he won't care either, so why should I bother? I'd be giving the baby up for adoption anyway. Even being that I have a job, and making money; it's barely enough for me to care for myself. I'd never be able to take care of this child and me. The baby deserved a better life than I could provide.

I just got paid again because its Friday. Hiccup says I'm doing a great job at Archia burger, and we'll move into doing register work sometime next week. Things, I guess, are looking a little more up for me. Right now, I'm on my way back to the shelter to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'd go to the bank again. I needed to remember to take $100 and give it back to Hiccup for when he loaned me the money to turn my phone on and get the work shoes. I took a deep breath of the cold January night air; I was almost to the shelter now. Another five or so minutes to go. Suddenly, my arm was grabbed, and I got dragged into an alleyway. Before I could scream, a hand went around my mouth. I panicked and struggled to get free. I got slammed into the wall hard, then kneed in the side. It was dark, I couldn't see my attacker. I hit the ground and instantly curled myself to protect my stomach. I began crying, and then I heard voices.

"Hey! Hey!" a voice called, and my attacker bolted away quickly. A few people came into the alleyway, using their phones as flashlights to see me on the ground, whimpering in pain. I'd been hit in the face, the back of the head, my back, legs, sides. I was sore, but I knew I couldn't go to the hospital.

"Oh, you poor dear…Are you alright?" a woman asked as two males tried to help me up.

"I-I'm okay," I said still a bit shaken.

"Someone phone the authorities," a man stated.

"N-No…No, I'm alright. Please? I just want to get home," I remarked, moving away from those trying to help make sure I was okay. "Thank you…F-For coming to help me…" I moved as quickly as I could away from the group of concerned citizens, then out of sight. I reached the shelter by 9:35 pm, and got to my assigned cot. I got on the bed and silently cried.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Tuesday, January 11, 2022-12:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory Cafeteria)**_

Something was wrong, and I knew it. I woke up this morning feeling…Weird. I felt faint, nauseated, and a lot cramping as if my period is coming. I got myself ready for school regardless. Once there; I showered up in the locker room, got dressed, and used the bathroom. I noticed a little blood but thought nothing of it. Spotting was normal in pregnancy, wasn't it? I went about my day anyway. I had a lot of bruises from the attack last Friday, thankfully, my clothes hid them. Now, it's lunchtime. I'd just gotten into the room, and began making my way to the lunch line to get something to eat when I heard snickering behind me.

"How embarrassing," Ragna chuckled.

"It's like she doesn't even care anymore," Thuggory said.

 _Ignore it…_ I told myself silently.

"So poor she can't even buy tampons or pads…" Camicazi laughed with the others.

 _Wait a minute…What?_ I became confused. I was pregnant, why would I need those?

"Look how much blood there is…She must have just started today for it to be that heavy," Nadia giggled. My eyes widened a little.

 _Blood? I'm…Bleeding, down there?_ Without wasting another moment, I got out of line and hurried from the cafeteria; hearing laughter erupt from behind me after Ragna announced to everyone that I was so poor I couldn't buy pads or tampons. I went to the bathroom and saw how much blood was in my underwear and pants. Why was I bleeding this much? The cramps were awful too. Cleaning up a little, and changing my underwear and skirt because thank God I carried spare clothes in my bag; I quickly went to Nurse Mala's office.

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:25 pm}**_

 _ **(Nurse's Office)**_

I dragged myself to Mala's office, whimpering in pain to see the short blond haired, tall woman sitting at her desk.

"Hello, Astrid. What can I do for you, sweetie?" Mala asked, looking over at me.

"I, uh…I'm cramping and bleeding a lot; it really hurts," I told her, unsure of how to word it.

"Well, I can provide painkillers for the discomfort, and pads or tampons for the menstrual bleeding," Mala stated.

I shook my head a little. "I-I can't be having my period…I-I'm pregnant,"

Mala's eye widened a little at the confession. "How far along are you, dear?"

"I-I don't know…I-I just found out on the 1st with a home test…I missed my period on the 25 of December…" I admitted, a little ashamed and still in pain. Mala rose from her desk, helping me to one of the beds.

"Here, now sit down, and we can figure out what's going on. If you missed your period at the end of December, on that day, then you would be about seven and a half weeks pregnant. And you did confirm the pregnancy with a home test just nine days ago…How much bleeding is there?" Mala asked.

"I had to change my underwear, and skirt…I-I had bled through at lunch…" I informed. Mala gave me a grave, somewhat sympathetic look; this was something I recognized from the night I learned my parents had passed away from Spitelout. I began to feel sick at what I was going to get told about why I'm bleeding. Mala sat down beside me, a hand around my shoulders.

"Astrid, sweetie…You're having a miscarriage," Mala stated softly. My eyes widened.

"What…?" I said, shocked.

"It's…Very common in early pregnancies for miscarriages to occur; improper implantation, stress, not enough nutrients…" Mala listed off. I mean; I wasn't ready for a baby, but I didn't want it to die. I guess this was just…Odin's plan. That's what Mom would have said about the situation.

"D-Do I have to do anything for it?" I asked.

"No, dear. It should only take a few days for everything to pass. Just wear some pads to prevent another bleed through. Oh, I'm so sorry, honey," Mala comforted as I wiped away a few tears.

"Will my cycle go back to normal?" I wondered.

"Within four to six weeks, yes. Would you like a painkiller to help with the cramps?" Mala inquired. I nodded as she got up to get me something to take. I guess I spoke too soon about things getting better for me.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Homeless Shelter)**_

I was in so much pain walking to the shelter, but I was sure it was because of the miscarriage happening. What more could I do? I couldn't afford the hospital. I just had to let things run their course. I did pick up some pads to get through this, and finally, I was in a place I could lay down for a bit. However, arriving at the shelter; I was met with the head of it.

"Astrid, I've heard a few rumors about you that have forced us to make the decision that you're not as helpless as you claim to be," the woman informed.

"I-I'm sorry?" I said, slightly taken aback.

"Your drug test came back clean, but a positive pregnancy came up as well. This is not a mother and child shelter," the woman said.

"I-I was pregnant…I'm currently in the middle of having a miscarriage…" I said quickly. "I-It was a past relationship that caused it…My ex-boyfriend and I broke up. And I lost my friends…That's how I ended up homeless because they all ditched me and left me no place to go," I explained.

"Yet, you still keep your clothes clean, have a phone, and a job?" the woman stated; I stilled instantly. "That's what I thought. You know the rules, Astrid. These shelters are for the homeless; those who have nowhere to go, unable to find work, no resources to rely on. You manage to get showers at school and wash your clothes. You have a working cell phone, and you have employment at Archia Burger; you've been spotted there in uniform. Bearing all this in mind, Astrid; it seems you are well able to care for yourself and no longer need the services provided here, so I'm afraid we have to ask you to leave and give up your space to someone in more need than you," she added firmly.

I didn't even know what to say as I felt tears brimming my eyes. Regardless, I tried to remain strong. I packed up my one suitcase, which has everything from the two because I decided to condense everything into one. A few tears slipped as I exited the shelter with my bag in tow behind. It's official; I've lost everything, and I have nowhere to go. I didn't have enough for a motel room, and I didn't have friends I could rely on. This was the bottom of the hole for me. Leaving the shelter with a heavy sigh, and tears falling; I set out into the crisp January afternoon to find where I'd be tonight. However, I knew there wouldn't be anything, and it was painfully clear to me that I'm now living on the streets.


	24. Not On My Watch

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Not On My Watch

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **(Thursday, January 27, 2022-5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

Hiccup and his friends watched two weeks ago as Astrid was thoroughly embarrassed by her former friends and ex-boyfriend in the cafeteria. Poor Astrid had begun bleeding heavily, assuming in starting her monthly cycle, and the popular seven of the Senior Class decided to make it known to just about everyone that Astrid was so broke she couldn't afford the things she needed. As Astrid ran out, everyone saw the blood on the back of her skirt, and people laughed. Not Hiccup and his group, though; they knew it wasn't right to laugh at someone else's misfortune. For Hiccup, though; he didn't understand why Astrid wouldn't buy the things she needed with the money she was earning from her job at Archia Burger. Astrid had gotten at least two paychecks since starting in December 2021, so why not be prepared for something you knew would come? Hiccup felt like there was more going on. Unfortunately; it wasn't his place to butt into Astrid's personal business. What also stuck him as shocking was that Astrid wasn't seen for the rest of her classes until the end of the day when the final bell rang, and she was seen walking off the campus.

In Dragon Training, the students began working on bonding. Astrid had Stormfly, of course. And strangely, Eret, Ragna, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Nadia managed to bond within the first week of the second semester; this began the week after Midterms finished. Eret has a male Thunderdrum named Thornado. Ragna got a female Singetail she calls Scarlet. Camicazi has a male Changewing named Camo. Thuggory has a male Monstrous Nightmare called Killer. And finally, Nadia has a male Razorwhip named Mercury. With Bonding out of the way; the class has moved into training the dragons to respond to a roar from their owner, hand signals, the proper place to sit while riding, grooming, care, etc. The last thing to learn will be flying, and Hiccup said learning that would depend solely on how everything else went in training. It's been about two weeks since practice began, and Hiccup somehow felt like it would take a while to get to flying. At least there were still about four months until Finals; they would be taken at the end of May, and then everything else from the day you got your passing score for the year would be graduation preparations for the June 17th, 2022 ceremony.

For Astrid; she was living on the streets. Astrid tried going to other shelters, but there were none close to her school and job. Also, the first one she had been at sent word to the others that she wasn't entirely _helpless_ , the word used was. So, for the past two weeks, since everything happened, Astrid has been living on the streets in alleyways. It wasn't always one spot; she did have to move around. Astrid had to condense a lot of her belongings into a backpack over using the suitcase. Astrid kept two school and work uniforms, two civilian sets of clothes for Saturday and Sunday if she didn't have work, which she typically didn't due to being on Hiccup's shifts Monday through Friday, just not all five days. Astrid kept pictures, but not in their frames, she had her baby blanket still. A brush, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, about five pairs of underwear, socks, and bras. Even though Astrid was making money from her job; she couldn't afford to be on her own, and a lot of the cheap motels she could stay in were on the other side of the city. Astrid didn't waste money on a bus pass; she still walked to school or work. The miscarriage was over; it hadn't been a fun experience, but at least everything had passed, and now she was waiting for her period to return in another few weeks.

Right now, Astrid and Hiccup are both at work. Hiccup had a five-person crew, which wasn't ideal, but three others who were supposed to come in ended up calling out. Two due to being sick, and one for a family emergency. Hiccup had Henrik on Grill, Syver on Sandwiches. Felicity on Drive-Thru, and Astrid on Fries/Corner/Runner. Hiccup was just helping out where needed, but he did need Front Register covered, and thought that it might be a good time to teach Astrid before dinner rush started.

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup said to get her attention.

Astrid looked over, smiling. "Yeah?"

"Come on, I'm gonna teach you register tonight," Hiccup informed as he got his keys and unlocked the drawer, pulling it out and motioning for her to follow him. In the office, Hiccup set the drawer down and began counting it. Afterward, he handed it to Astrid, and they moved back to where the register was. "Alright, go ahead and set it inside," Astrid did so quietly, then Hiccup pushed it back in. Hiccup assigned the drawer to Astrid, and then looked at her.

"So, how do I do this?" Astrid asked.

"Everything is touch screen and labeled. This here is your main screen, and on this top bar shows Dine In or Take Out. When a customer approaches the register, you're going to smile and say Welcome to Archia Burger, will you be dining in this evening? Depending on their answer determines the button you press. Everything down this section is for the actual order taking," Hiccup explained.

"I think I'm following," Astrid replied.

"It's easy once you do it a few times. All this going down is the Combos. Then there is just chicken, burgers, fries, sides, desserts, and drinks. When you do the combos…" Hiccup paused. "Don't make this for the front!" he called to Syver.

"Got it!" Syver replied. Astrid learned that Syver is Natalie's little brother.

"Okay, so as I was saying. When you go into combos; you'll see each one. Say someone orders a number four; you'll hit this one, and the screen will show you what comes on it. If they want to leave the sandwich alone with no modifications, the next thing you ask is Small, Medium, or Large," Hiccup continued.

"And then I'd press which size combo they want down here right?" Astrid asked, pointing to the three buttons on the bottom.

"Right," Hiccup nodded. Next, it will show you the sandwich, then what size fry, and drink ordered. For drinks, if it's just soda, you can press Coke, because customers get the drink themselves. If it's coffee, tea, lemonade…Press one of those. If they don't want fries, press this side button between drink and sandwich ones, then select whatever it is they wanted," Hiccup went on.

"Seems easy enough," Astrid shrugged as Hiccup cleared the order out from the screen.

"So if these are all combos, then why the chicken and burger buttons?" Astrid wondered.

"Those are the same sandwiches as in the combos, just by themselves. Some people don't want the fry and drink. Also, it has the value sandwiches," Hiccup told her.

"Oh. I was wondering where those were," Astrid replied.

"Yep, very straightforward setup. And for paying, just hit press Pay. If it's a card, swipe it through, and when it asks you to check to make sure the total matches for charge to the card, hit ok. If it's cash as a five, ten, or twenty, press one of those three choices. If it's another amount or has change, just hit cash and put in the amount given, then hit ok. The computer will tell you what you need to give back. So this will be your position tonight, and I'll be right up here if you need me," Hiccup smiled. "Just stand here and get yourself familiar with the buttons. You can press any one of those side ones, and it won't come up on the screen; they'll just show you what's available in each section,"

"Okay," Astrid responded as Hiccup headed over to drive-thru to help Felicity out.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:50 pm}**_

Just twenty minutes later; it was getting busy for the dinner rush. At the moment, it was just drive-thru, so Astrid was trying to help out since she didn't have any customers. However, a few people began to come in and line up. Just as Hiccup taught her, Astrid took the orders. The first few were easy, and she managed to run them herself since Hiccup was busy.

"You doing alright, Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"Yep!" Astrid smiled, turning back to face the customers that just came in. Only she noticed who they were; her ex-boyfriend and former friends.

"So it is true; you do work here," Thuggory mentioned first. Astrid didn't say anything in response, seeing them grin or smirk.

"Heard rumor from some of the other students," Eret chuckled.

"Hiccup feels bad, so he gave you a job?" Ragna remarked. Hiccup glanced to check on Astrid and saw who she was dealing with.

"Hey, if you're here to eat, fine. If not, beat it, guys. No loitering, and don't harass my employees. I have the right to kick you out," Hiccup said as Astrid looked at him. "Popularity or money status doesn't matter here like it does at school. They are just customers here, Astrid; no more or less than anyone else," he reminded. Astrid nodded, smiling a little.

"Will you be dining in or eating out this evening?" Astrid asked.

"You know, we'll eat in," Camicazi said.

"What can I get for you?" Astrid inquired. The seven in the group placed their orders, making it as complicated as possible for Astrid. It hit a point where they were requesting things that she didn't know how to do.

"What's the matter? Don't you know how to work that thing?" Gruffnut stated.

"Maybe we should call the main office and report her for being incompetent," Nadia giggled.

"Would likely get her in trouble, or fired," Eret snickered. Astrid closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I apologize; I'm still new…" Astrid stated.

"Rumor is that you've been here since December. No excuse now," Thuggory said.

"N-New on register…" I tried.

"All this time here, and you're just learning now? Pfft, should have it down by now," Camicazi remarked. Hiccup heard that comment and decided it was time to shut them up in the best way. Hiccup walked over, standing beside Astrid.

"Your employee doesn't know her position," Nadia informed.

"She's new to the register, and we just had a system upgrade, so she's not the only one," Hiccup stated calmly.

"Well, perhaps someone who does know how to work it should be taking the orders," Eret said.

" _Perhaps_ you should mind your own business about things you don't understand as well. I doubt any of you could just come back here and instantly understand the different positions without proper training. I showed Astrid how to work the system, and she was doing fine until you decided to make it more complicated by changed things or asking for ridiculous modifications. You're also making it harder on my grill and sandwich workers. So maybe you stop being difficult and just order the normal things you do every week," Hiccup enlightened.

"I'm sure it's not that hard to work fast food. I could do it with no training, any of us could," Thuggory rolled his eyes. Hiccup arched a brow.

"Oh, you think so? Well, why don't we put that to the test, shall we? I could use a couple extra hands tonight. You seven come back here and work two hours with no training or help. If you can do it; I'll give each of you $100, cash, out of pocket. And to add a bonus; I'll throw in one free meal this week, and the next, each," Hiccup offered casually.

"You serious?" Gruffnut asked.

"As a heart attack," Hiccup folded his arms over one another. "But you have to do the work the right way. No half-assing it," he added.

"Heh. You're on, Hiccup," Eret smirked. Hiccup shook their hands and let them come back, then he got them shirts, hats, and visors to use.

"Awe, you all look so cute in your work uniforms…" Hiccup said.

"Shut it, Haddock," Thuggory said ad Hiccup fixed Gruffnut's hat, so it was position correctly. Hiccup counted two drawers out, handing one to Camicazi, and the other to Nadia.

"He's your boss right now, so it's Mr. Haddock, or boss to you," Felicity remarked.

"My crew, step away from your positions! Grab a soda, and relax for two hours," Hiccup told his other four workers. Henrik, Syver, Felicity, and Astrid got cups, then went towards the back to watch the show. "Nadia, drive-thru. Camicazi, front. Eret, grill. Ragna, the front-runner. Thuggory, sandwiches. Gruffnut, fries."

None of them moved and were very confused. "Uh…" they looked at one another and then back to Hiccup.

"I thought you knew how to do all this without training? And knew the positions? Don't tell me it was all talk?" Hiccup asked.

"N-No, we got it," Ragna said. Still, neither of them moved. Hiccup facepalmed hard, then sighed. Hiccup moved Nadia towards drive-thru, had her put the drawer in and got her signed in, then placed one of the headsets on her head. Carefully taking her hand, he placed her finger on the button that was forward.

"Front talks to customers outside at the speaker," Hiccup said, then set her finger on the back button. "Talks to anyone else with a headset. You hear a ding; there's someone at the box. You hear static, and voices someone is waiting," Hiccup explained. "You," he pointed to Camicazi. "On front register," he stated. Camicazi walked over and set her drawer in as Hiccup got her assigned to it. Hiccup moved to the rest of them. Hiccup pushed Eret in front of the grill. "You're in charge of dropping meat, nuggets, tenders, spicy, homestyle, and grilled chicken for the sandwich maker. From here to here," he showed the two markers. "is your work area,"

"Thuggory, you're sandwiches. Anything that comes up on that board above you which is a sandwich; you make. Pay attention to what the label is because there are two different spots where they go. Some could be front, some for the drive-thru. Gruffnut, you're fries. You have to check these two screens for when people order fries, nuggets, or tenders. And Ragna; you run orders for the front. When sandwiches come up, you either bag or tray it with any sides that Gruffnut makes," Hiccup explained.

"And where are you?" Thuggory asked.

"I'm the boss; I'm everywhere. Now, as you can see; it's dinner time. Have fun, and the two hours starts right now," Hiccup stated. "Remember, you get no help since you seem to know exactly how to do all this without training," he added.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:30 pm}**_

The staff of Archia Burger got a laugh out of the popular group messing up so many things. There were only thirty minutes left in the two-hour challenge. It got so busy around 6:20 pm and Hiccup needed to correct so many things. Thankfully, all the customers understood what was going on, and were willing to wait the few extra moments. Hiccup never faltered, though, and he kept his cool the entire time. Astrid couldn't believe Hiccup had done something like this when the group gave her trouble.

"Why are you making a double with pickles and onions?" Hiccup asked Thuggory.

"Th-That's how they're made!" Thuggory exclaimed.

"Not when the board says no onion or pickle!" Hiccup remarked. Thuggory muttered but fixed the sandwich.

"Eret, why aren't you dropping him patties? You see there are a bunch of sandwiches to make, and he'll need meat to do that. They take about two minutes to cook, get to work," Hiccup informed. "Nadia, the car at the box has been waiting almost two minutes for you to take the order. Gruffnut, you're going to need fries down. And you're supposed to call to Eret when you're running low on tenders and nuggets!" Hiccup continued. It was easy to see how frustrated they all were about the work.

"I-I can't find wraps!" Camicazi cried.

As it went on 7:45 pm, Hiccup knew they'd had enough when there were no customers. "So…Not so easy with no training, is it?"

"No…" the seven sighed.

"You had zero right to give Astrid trouble about having a little trouble on the register when it was only her first day on the register. Astrid did get trained, and she was doing perfectly fine until you had to come in here and make it difficult. In all of two hours; you weren't able to figure things out," Hiccup scolded. "My team, back on position," Hiccup called. And just like that, all of Hiccup's employees returned to their spots and got right back to work as if nothing had changed. "And maybe it wouldn't have been so hard for you if any of you had ever worked a day in your lives. That being said; you can apologize to Astrid for giving her trouble, then get out,"

"You mean we can't eat dinner here?" Nadia said quickly.

"Not tonight, no. You don't eat in my restaurant after purposely giving my employees a hard time for NO REASON. You keep your personal shit out of my business, got it?" Hiccup said. They nodded, handing over the shirts and hats or visors. "Now, apologize and beat it," he pointed to the left side door.

"Sorry, Astrid…" the seven said, then quickly hurried out the door. Hiccup sighed.

"You're not like, gonna get in trouble for doing that, are you?" Astrid asked.

"Of course not. I told you, aside from a few legal matters; I basically run this place," Hiccup smiled.

"Well, thank you for showing them up the way you did…" Astrid stated.

"It was for me too; I got it all on camera," Hiccup chuckled a bit. "Now, I have blackmail if they decide to give me crap again," he added. "Hey, you do good work here, Astrid. And I take care of my employees; I'd have done the same for any one of them. I don't live by that _the customer is always right_ crap. Sometimes the customer is just an asshole, and that shit doesn't fly with me. Not on my watch," he said gently. Astrid nodded, getting back to the register and preparing to finish working her shift until 9 pm.


	25. The Hand Of Kindness

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The Hand Of Kindness

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Monday, January 31, 2022-12:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Cafeteria; Archian Preparatory)**_

I still couldn't believe that Hiccup showed up Eret, Ragna, Gruffnut, Camicazi, Nadia, and Thuggory at Archia Burger. It was hilarious to watch them struggle for two hours and have no idea what they were doing despite the endless boasting that they could do the job better. Customers had been more than understanding when Hiccup explained things about why orders were messed up, and everything was taking a long time. At the end of it, Hiccup made them apologize to me, then leave the building. After the total embarrassment of those seven was over; we all got back on position to keep working. It's been a few days since, and now we're on the last day of January. I still can't believe that it's been two months since my parents got killed in the house fire; two months that I lost my house, and ended up with nothing. Stoick is still working to find a loophole in the legal system to get the wills of my folks enacted, but I knew it might take a while. It didn't matter since I'm living on the streets with just my one suitcase of clothes, and a few memories I didn't want to lose.

I have my job at Archia Burger, but I only work two or three days a week. Hiccup mentioned that it's slow in the Winter time, and didn't start picking up until April at the earliest. It sucked, but at least I was working and would be fully trained for when it did get busy. The places that I stayed varied on the weather. Sometimes it was under a bridge, other times it was in the Archian Isle Park. I hated it, but unfortunately, paying my $50 phone bill and getting food at school, or on the weekends took most of my money. I've done motel rooms a couple of times if it was unbearably cold and snowing, and that used a lot of cash too. So, most of the time; I'm on the streets, trying to stay hidden from the sight of others so no one would recognize me. Getting showers was harder now because the school figured out that someone was sneaking in and using the locker room showers. To prevent this; the janitors kept the locker room doors locked until 7:30 am when the day began. Thankfully, instead of Health Class now; we had Physical Education, and were allowed to shower at the end.

The gym teacher, Mr. Sven Silenson would release us ten minutes before the next bell to allow time for the shower, if anyone wanted it. So five days a week; I was able to get clean this way. However, sometimes; I couldn't even get a shower in because there were only four available and the other girls would get to them first, and take up the entire time we had. Saturday and Sunday was another story. I didn't use makeup anymore; there was no point. Getting my clothes clean was also a chore; I finally caved and begun started using the laundry mat; this takes money too. I have to get detergent, wash, and dry; that's $10 every week since I use the ridiculously small dryer, which takes a few cycles. I hated living this way, but what choice did I have? Until things turned around for me; this was it. I've done all I can, but I officially have nowhere else to go. No shelters, no home, no friends, a job I can barely support myself on. Honestly, I wondered why I'm even still fighting to stay alive anymore. I never understood why some people killed themselves, not until I had to live this way. Now I can see why people would rather be dead than live the way they do. And the worst part is…All of this happened outside of my control. Day after day, I struggle to find a reason why I'm still here.

In school; it's no different. I sit alone at lunch. I'm barely passing my classes. I don't have anyone I can talk to. I just…don't seem to be able to care anymore. I've officially hit a point where I don't want to keep doing this. What did I have left? Nothing. Nobody would miss me; they'all just say I couldn't cope, and hey, that's not far from the truth. Right now, I'm at lunch in school. I sit at a table on the other side of where Hiccup and his friends are. I don't like being near my ex-friends, and I avoid them as much as possible. And still, every chance they get; they give me shit. Shoving me around, tripping me in the hallway, taking shots at me during gym but saying it was an accident. It never stopped, and it's another reason why I want to end my life. At the same time; something is keeping me here. I don't know what, but it has to be. If I were meant to be dead; I would have been killed with my parents in that fire, right? I was supposed to be home that night, but I snuck out, and that fire was intentional. I inadvertently escaped death by sneaking out to go to Eret's. I still think people are trying to kill me, though.

I was beaten up not too long ago walking to the shelter. And today, on my way to school, someone was following me closely. I felt them grab my backpack, but I jerked away and got onto school grounds. By the time I turned, the person was running off down the street. It scared me because I knew now that obviously I'm being targeted. Something Stoick mentioned the day we went over the will. Maybe I should go to the police about it? I didn't know anymore. Perhaps I should let it happen; someone could put me out of my misery. I sighed as I took another bite of my sandwich. I didn't see the point in living anymore.

"Astrid?" I snapped from my suicidal thoughts to look over and see who said my name. Hiccup.

"Yeah?" I replied softly.

"So we've had a couple of call-outs already; I'm trying to find covers, so we don't get our asses handed to us. And I was wondering if you would like to work tonight from 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm?" Hiccup inquired softly. "I know it's your off night, but I remember you saying you wanted whatever we could give you,"

"Oh, sure. No problem," I smiled at him.

"Great. I'm going right there after school. Uh, you can ride with me if you want?" Hiccup asked.

"Um, yeah…Thanks, Hiccup. Should I meet you in the lot after Dragon Training?" I questioned.

"That works. See you at 2 pm then," Hiccup smiled, then went back to his seat. Well, I guess I was working tonight. It was better than sitting around I suppose. Five minutes later, I spotted Dagur coming into the school with Runa in his arms. Why did Dagur have Runa? After checking in, Dagur turned around and headed right into the cafeteria with a very upset little girl.

"Dagur? What are you doing here?" Heather asked quickly.

"Dag? Roo?" Hiccup got up quickly, taking his daughter from Dagur.

"Your mom had to go into work on an emergency an hour ago and asked me if I would take Runa until 1 pm. However, your mom is now stuck there because it's going to take longer and I can't get Runa to calm down…I'm sorry…I didn't know where else to bring her, Hiccup," Dagur explained.

"It's fine…It's okay," Hiccup insisted, but I could see how worried he was. Hiccup got Runa's pacifier from the bag that was on Dagur's shoulder, then he gave it to Runa, positioning her in his arms to rock her to sleep.

"I tried feeding, changing, burping, the cold rag because of the teething…" Dagur listed off. However, Runa seemed to be settling in her father's arms. The cries were light, but nearly as bad as when Dagur had her, and Hiccup used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the tears away.

"Ssh, Lil Lady…It's okay. Daddy's here now. Don't cry…" Hiccup soothed while bouncing his arms and swaying side to side. "She's still adjusting, Dag…Same as me. Doesn't feel right without her," Dagur nodded, understanding. But I didn't get it. Without who? What was going on with Hiccup that only a few people seemed to know about? I guess it wasn't my place; I had my own shit going on.

" _If you ever leap awake in the middle of a bad dream. And for a fraction of a second, you can't remember where you are. Just open your window, and follow your memory upstream. To the meadow in the mountain where we counted every falling star. I believe the light that shines on you, will shine on your forever. And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed. I'm gonna stand guard, like a post card of a Golden Retriever. And never leave until I leave you with a sweet dream in your head…"_ Hiccup began singing softly. I couldn't help but listen in; Hiccup sang well. And there was nothing more attractive than a man being a good father to his daughter regardless of the situation.

" _I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign so you'll always know. As long as one and one is two..Ooh Ooh…There could never be a father loves his daughter more than I love you,"_ Hiccup smiled a bit, rubbing his nose to Runa's. The baby smiled with the binky in her mouth, reaching up to touch Hiccup's face.

" _Trust your intuition, it's just like going fishing. You cast your line and hope you get a bite. But you don't need to waste your time, worrying about the marketplace. Trying to help the human race, struggling to survive it's harshest night,"_ Runa yawned, her eyes becoming heavy and beginning to droop in exhaustion.

" _I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign, so you'll always know. As long as one and one is two…Ooh Ooh. There could never be a father loves his daughter more than I love you,"_ Hiccup took a breath, then began again as Runa snuggled into her father's arms more. _"I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign, so you'll always know. As long as one and one is two…Ooh Ooh. There could never be a father loves his daughter more than I love you,"_ Hiccup sang as Runa was fast asleep in his arms, cuddled close to his chest, and gripping his shirt in her hand.

"Definitely a Daddy's Girl," Snotlout mentioned.

"How are we going to do Dragon Training? Your mom can't take her, and your dad is…Well, you know," Dagur asked. Why didn't Dagur say why Stoick couldn't take Runa?

"Dagur; it won't be a secret soon; we're just keeping it on the down-low to avoid the press. Personally, I don't care who knows. Either way…I need you at Dragon Training for the arrangement to be legal. At least until the end of February when I turned eighteen, so we'll just have to have Runa with us," Hiccup stated. "I only have one class between this and training, so I'll keep her with me," he added.

"As long as you're sure; I'll get the field ready," Dagur nodded. Hiccup sat back down in his chair, adjusted Runa a little more, then began eating again as if nothing changed before Dagur brought her there. I went back to eating my food and minding my own business.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{10:40 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

Astrid had never worked a seven-hour shift before, but it wasn't bad overall. 5:20 pm to about 8:00 pm was the busiest time, and then she helped with closing. Archia Burger was only open from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm. Opening for just the workers was at 8:30 am, and closing began at 8:30 pm. Nice and even times for everything. Astrid was tired and ready to get some sleep. It had begun snowing outside around 7:45 pm, very light fall and just beginning to stick to the ground.

"Good work tonight crew," Hiccup told his night staff. It was Astrid, Hiccup, Mikkel Haugen, Colden Kongur, who is Ander's older brother, Signy Ostberg, and Garet Raseri.

"See you all tomorrow!" Colden called as he hurried to his car across the lot.

"Bye!" Signy waved as a car pulled up with her older brother driving; Signy got in and then they were gone. Colden left in his truck, and then Garet and Mikkel hopped on the bus which picked up on the sidewalk facing the main road. Now, it was just Hiccup and Astrid remaining.

"Thanks for working tonight, Astrid," Hiccup said.

"Oh, no problem," Astrid replied gently. "Well, goodnight, Hiccup," she added before beginning to walk away after zipping the coat and pulling up the collar around her neck. Hiccup watched a moment or two, then he got into his Jeep, started it up, and headed out of the parking lot for Archia Burger. Astrid walked in silence to her place for the night, under a bridge right by the building; it didn't take more than five minutes to get there. Astrid pulled her suitcase out of it's hiding place, and quickly changed out of her work uniform, then prepared for bed. Unfortunately, the snow was falling heavier now and she might have to find somewhere else to stay. By 10:50 pm, Astrid was on the move again to find a dry, warm area.

 **. . .**

Hiccup didn't feel right about leaving Astrid to walk when the weather was getting this bad. Hiccup pulled a U-Turn at the next legal place to do it, and he went back towards Archia Burger to see if he could find Astrid. By 11:10 pm, he had no luck. Sighing, Hiccup prepared to leave, but just as he did; he caught sight of Astrid just up ahead. However. What he saw; he didn't like. Astrid was shivering, walking slow with her backpack and drawstring bag on her back, and a suitcase being wheeled behind her. Hiccup watched Astrid turn down into an alleyway. Hiccup carefully drove up to the spot, and got out of the Jeep with his flashlight after parking on the side of the road. Hiccup made his way into the place he saw Astrid go, and spotted her under an awning, laying on the ground with a thin blanket over her, trying to stay warm.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked. Instantly, Astrid sat up to see Hiccup standing there.

"Hi-Hiccup…I-I…" Astrid began. The stammering was all Hiccup needed to know Astrid was reacting to being caught in her predicament that she clearly didn't want others to know. Astrid was homeless and living on the streets. Everything Hiccup saw right now is what gave him all he needed to figure that out.

Crouching down, he extended his hand to her. "Come on,"

"Come where?" Astrid asked.

"With me to my house," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, no…I'm f-fine…" Astrid protested.

"Astrid, this is no time to be stubborn! You can stop the act, alright? Seeing all this; I figured it out. Now, get up and come with me," Hiccup told her.

"It's not your job to take care of me!" Astrid stated.

"Astrid, you will freeze to death out here! This storm is going to get worse!" Hiccup yelled.

"I'll be okay!" Astrid countered.

"No, you won't! Stop arguing with me! You will end up mugged, raped, or dead; I can't walk away knowing those possibilities. Okay? You need help, so don't push away the one person who is offering a helping hand! Shut your mouth, get up, and let's go! I'm not giving you a choice anymore!" Hiccup glared angrily. Wanting to cry, Astrid held back the tears, then put her hand in Hiccup's as he lifted her to her feet. Astrid shivered some as Hiccup grabbed her three bags, then carried them towards his Jeep with Astrid following. "Get in," Hiccup ordered as he put her things in the back seat.

Astrid got into the passenger's side and struggled to stop shivering. Hiccup moved into the driver's seat, closing his door, then cranking up the heat for her. Hiccup clipped his seatbelt, and Astrid did the same. Hiccup threw his gear into Drive, then headed for Berk. Astrid didn't say a word the entire time; she was just staring out the window. Hiccup knew he could have been a bit nicer about it, but this was serious. Hiccup hadn't known how bad Astrid's situation was until tonight when he decided to go back and offer her a ride. Hiccup couldn't walk away after seeing what he did because at that point; anything that happened to Astrid would have been his fault for not stepping in when he knew something was wrong.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:45}**_

 _ **(Berk; Raven Point Hills-Haddock Manor)**_

Between the slow drive from the city to Berk, then up to Raven Point Hills in the snow; it was about 11:30 pm when Hiccup's Jeep reached the gates of Haddock Manor. Hiccup scanned a badge card from his wallet, then the gate opened to allow them inside. Hiccup parked his Jeep in the Motor Court within his spot inside the garage.

"You really don't need to do this, Hiccup…" Astrid sighed, not looking at him.

"Enough, Astrid," Hiccup stated calmly, but it seemed like he was angry at her. "I've had my suspicions for a while about your situation, but after seeing what I did tonight; I couldn't walk away from it. Alright? You're homeless and were living on the streets. You were going to end up severely hurt or dead, and that is not something I could ignore. Now, I don't want to hear any more about this. You are staying here until you get back on your feet and can survive _SAFELY_ out there,"

"Since when do you make decisions regarding me?" Astrid questioned, a bit stunned at what Hiccup said.

"Since you decided to start making stupid decisions. You have nothing left, Astrid, and you've gone as far as you can without help. Tonight, you needed it desperately and I chose to be the one to give it. I'm sure it's not something you're used to as of late with everything that happened, but this is what compassion, sympathy, and kindness are. Stop fighting me, and just accept that everyone needs a little help sometimes. The faster you do that; the better things will be. Now, it's late, and we can talk about this in the morning," Hiccup told her.

Astrid sighed again, nodding. The two got out of the Jeep and got Astrid's bags. Getting inside the house, Hiccup took Astrid upstairs to a room across from his parent's. Hiccup opened that door and set Astrid's things on the edge of the bed. "This will be your room," Hiccup stated. "You have your own personal bathroom, there are towels and bathrobes in there. So, why don't you grab a hot shower, and get some sleep? Alright? Are you hungry? Have you eaten today besides lunch?"

"I ate at work…" Astrid replied. "I'm not hungry right now,"

"Then take the shower, and get some rest. We can talk more in the morning," Hiccup said, then he backed out of the room and closed the door. Astrid looked around the room; she couldn't see much from the one light on the nightstand by the bed. Honestly, though; she was just tired and would shower in the morning. Astrid still couldn't believe Hiccup came looking for her and forced her to come with him. And at the same time; she was grateful and shocked that Hiccup of all people had extended a helping hand to her in a time of desperate need. Astrid changed clothes, set her alarm, then climbed into the bed and knocked out moments later.


	26. This Is Home For Now

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

This Is Home For Now

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, February 1, 2022-6:00 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The Haddock Home was never truly at rest. There were night and day workers, all with specific jobs to do at certain times. However, regardless of that; the house was quiet. Or at least it was until Hiccup, and his parents were woken up by a loud scream. Hiccup exited his bedroom, hurrying down the hall to see his father coming out of his parent's room.

"What was that?" Stoick inquired.

"If I had to take a guess…Astrid," Hiccup sighed.

"What's Astrid doing here?" Valka wondered softly.

"Happened last night. Found her sleeping on the streets with her suitcase; she's homeless, Dad…I had to do something," Hiccup informed. "I told her she was staying here until she got back on her feet, and placed her in this room," he added as Stoick sighed a bit.

"I'll expect a full explanation later, son. And I'm proud of you for making the choice you did," Stoick stated. Hiccup nodded, then moved to the room where he put Astrid. Hiccup knocked on the door, then peered inside.

"Astrid?" Hiccup said. Astrid snapped her head in his direction; she woke up in this bed and didn't remember how in the name of Odin she had gotten there. Astrid was a bit scared and panting. "Hey, relax. Everything is okay,"

"W-What…Am I doing here?" Astrid asked instantly.

"I brought here last night after work," Hiccup enlightened.

"W-Why?" Astrid demanded, still a little freaked out.

"Because I found you trying to sleep on the streets during the middle of the snow storm. I also didn't give you much choice in the matter. Just relax, alright? I said you were living here until you get back on your feet," Hiccup reminded. Astrid glanced down at the bed now, closing her eyes, taking a few breaths, and slowly recalled the events of last night. Sure enough; she did remember that Hiccup found her in the alleyway, and then force her to come with him. Astrid sighed.

"I-I'm sorry…" Astrid said.

"It's okay. Are you alright? You screamed…" Hiccup mentioned.

"I didn't…recognize where I was, or how I got here…" Astrid admitted. Hiccup took a breath of relief, happy that was all it was.

"I know it will take some adjusting. It's about 6 am right now, and from what I can see outside your window; by 6:30 am, we'll be getting a call that school is canceled because of the weather, which is supposed to get bad again later today," Hiccup remarked. "Why don't you take a shower for starters, and then I can lead you downstairs for breakfast…Unless you remember the way?"

"I-I don't…" Astrid confessed. "W-Where's the bathroom?"

"Alright," Hiccup came into the room more and moved to a door on the far right wall. "This is your bathroom in this room," Hiccup flipped on the light as Astrid got off the bed to follow him. "You have your sink on the right, tub on the left. Further back past the sink is the linen closet with towels, face cloths, toilet paper, tissues. After that; it's the toilet, and then on the left is the stand-up shower," Hiccup showed her everything.

"Okay…Thank you," Astrid said in a small voice.

"After you're done in here, just put all the dirty things in the hamper," Hiccup advised, showing here where the basket was, which was right by the entrance door into the bathroom. "The staff comes around daily just like in a hotel," he added. "They'll make the bed, wipe things down, clean the bathroom," Hiccup stated. "And you do have a walk-in closet over there by the door to the bedroom. I'll get you in about twenty minutes, okay? To take you down for breakfast,"

"I'll be ready," Astrid nodded.

"I'll leave you to it then," Hiccup replied. "Uh, there should be soap, shampoo, all that stuff in the closet too," he added before exiting the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Astrid took a deep breath as she decided to get started on her shower since Hiccup would be back in twenty minutes. Astrid moved to her suitcase and pulled out a set of clothes to wear; then she went to the bathroom.

 **. . .**

 **{6:15 am}**

Astrid took ten minutes to shower, get dressed in two; the spent the final three in the fifteen minutes to brush her hair and teeth. At the moment, she was sitting on her bed and looking around the room. From the entrance of the space, on the left wall was the walk-in closet. Going around, the room expanded after a corner. There was a bookshelf, then a nightstand, queen-sized bed, another nightstand, and on the wall with the windows in the corner was a small work area. Near the windows were two chairs with a table in the middle of them, and Astrid assumed this might be a small reading spot. Next was the bathroom, which Hiccup already gave her a small tour of. After that was another wall with a long, dark wood, four-drawer dresser, and there was a flat screen TV on a swivel mount just above the dresser.

Astrid couldn't deny how shocked she was that Hiccup was going to let her stay in Haddock Manor until she could recover from the homeless situation and get back on her feet. It was the last thing Astrid expected from Hiccup Haddock, especially given how she had treated him with Eret, Gruffnut, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, and Camicazi. Astrid couldn't help but remember that day in school when the others wouldn't back off and leave Hiccup alone; the one where Hiccup snapped and punched Eret in the face. Hiccup said that day that he didn't care what we said about him, but never bring Olivia and Runa into it again. Also, Hiccup told Astrid that he was disgusted and ashamed to have ever called her his best friend, that she changed after her father became Mayor for the first time in Middle School; it was probably around the seventh-grade when it happened.

Astrid still didn't ever remember being Hiccup's friend. In truth; she wanted to know more, but didn't want to make Hiccup mad either. Hiccup is the last person Astrid expected ever to extend a helping hand in her time of need, but he did it. Astrid checked her phone on the nightstand as she had put it to charge last night, and sure enough, there was a missed call and voicemail from Archian Preparatory. Setting the device to her ear; she listened and heard what Hiccup predicted would happen. Due to the weather, there was no school today. Astrid guess didn't mind; it gave her more time to adjust to this new situation that she was living with Hiccup. There was a knock on the door as Astrid stood up.

"Come in," Astrid called lightly. The door opened as Hiccup walked in with Runa in his arms. Astrid saw the little girl awake and playing with a stuffed Night Fury toy. It was hard for Astrid to believe that she met Runa, who at the time was only four months old, and now she's about to be going on eight months in ten days on the 11th of February.

"All ready?" Hiccup inquired.

"I am," Astrid nodded to him. "And you don't have to knock…It's your house…"

"This is the room I gave you to use while you're here, Astrid. And just like any other person who resides here; we respect that privacy," Hiccup informed as Astrid followed him out of the bedroom, and she closed the door. Hiccup led her to the stairs, and then down them to the family room and over into the breakfast area, or smaller, family dining room as Astrid remembered that Hiccup introduced the space as during the tour back in October. Astrid could see right away that Valka and Stoick were already there enjoying their coffee. Stoick was reading the paper.

"There's my granddaughter! Let me see her, Hiccup," Valka insisted right away.

"Well, good morning to you too, mother," Hiccup rolled his eyes, then handed Runa over to his mom.

"You know how she is, son," Stoick chuckled a little.

"Sadly," Hiccup shrugged. Astrid stayed behind Hiccup, being a bit shy.

"No need to be shy, lass," came Gobber's voice next as he made his way through and sat at the table. Hiccup did the same.

"Come on, Astrid. We don't bite; sit with us," Stoick invited. Astrid nodded and moved to sit down next to Hiccup with her hands in her lap and looking down.

"Was school canceled, Hiccup?" Valka inquired.

"Yeah, got the call about ten minutes ago," Hiccup stated.

"Hagen, will you bring in breakfast now that we're all here?" Stoick called over to the kitchen.

"Right away, Mr. Haddock," Hagen replied, then came in with another worker holding plates. There was one placed down in front of each person, except for Astrid. "Oh, I didn't know we had an extra guest this morning. What would you like?" he asked with a smile.

"Just like a restaurant, Astrid. Hagen makes a big spread; eggs, toast, bacon, sausage…" Hiccup told her.

"I'm not a big morning eater…" Astrid said softly.

"Most important meal of the day," Gobber chuckled.

"I don't know…Just some eggs, bacon, and toast is okay for me," Astrid replied. Hagen nodded, then hurried into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned and set the plate down in front of Astrid. "Thank you," Hagen smiled, then returned to the kitchen. The meal was mostly silent with everyone eating their food. Runa was in Valka's lap, and Valka was bouncing her knee up and down to make Runa giggle and clap happily. Astrid felt awkward being here with Hiccup's family, mainly because she didn't think it was her place after all the crap she'd given Hiccup over the years. However, it seemed that Hiccup didn't care about that because he still didn't give her a choice going with him or not last night.

 **. . .**

 **{7:30 am}**

Breakfast finished and was cleaned up. By this time, the Haddock family, Gobber, and Astrid moved into the family room. It was still quiet as they were watching the news, but Gobber was now entertaining Runa.

"Astrid," Stoick said, gaining her attention. "I think we should have a chat about your situation,"

Astrid bit her bottom lip nervously. "I-It wasn't my idea to stay here…Hiccup didn't give me a choice last night," she informed quickly.

"Oh, sweetheart; you're not in trouble for being here," Valka assured. "We want to understand what happened to put you in such a dangerous position," she added. Astrid looked down a bit, fiddling with her fingers.

"I told you to call me if you needed anything, Astrid. I'm a very old friend of your father's, and I mentioned this the last time you were here for the reading of the will," Stoick stated.

"I-I know, Mr. Haddock. I-I just…Things were okay at first. Everything just happened so far, and spiraled out of control…" Astrid tried.

"Astrid, they want to know what took place to land you on the streets," Hiccup clarified. Astrid sighed a little.

"My friends and boyfriend found out by snooping in my diary that I didn't have any money because of all the will and insurance thing…So they ditched me in December, saying I wasn't one of them anymore. Initially; I'd been staying between Ragna, Camicazi, and Nadia's houses. I stayed at Eret's on the weekends sometimes. When I lost that…My car was repossessed," Astrid began to explain.

"You told me the day I hired you it was in the shop," Hiccup said.

"I-I lied…My car didn't have any insurance on it, so the pulled my registration. And then it was repossessed because the company wasn't getting their payments with my parents gone…That happened two days after Eret, and the others abandoned me. I knew that's when I needed a job…But no one had been able to contact me because my phone was off, and I could only use a calling and texting app when there was wifi," Astrid continued.

"Go on, lass," Stoick motioned.

"I was able to stay in a homeless shelter, and I walked everywhere to get around. To and from school and work too," Astrid started again.

"What happened to the shelter?" Gobber wondered.

Astrid looked down; she didn't want to mention the miscarriage to them. "Others from the shelter saw that I had a job, and reported it, so I was kicked out under the reasoning that the shelters were for people who had nothing, couldn't find work, and what not…And after that…It was just me on the streets. Abandoned buildings, under bridges, alleyways…Everything I own in the bags that Hiccup found me with. I took showers at the school after gym class, and I wash my stuff at the laundromat," Astrid informed.

"You should have called me after the others walked away," Stoick sighed.

"I realized that I didn't have your number…" Astrid looked down.

"Hiccup would have given it to you," Valka said.

"I was afraid to talk to him," Astrid admitted. Hiccup blinked.

"Why in the name of Odin would you be scared to talk to me? We saw each other all the time at work," Hiccup said.

"You told me not to bring personal drama into the workplace…And in school…I guess I keep remembering that day when you punched Eret, how mad you got at us…" Astrid stated. "And I figured you wouldn't want to help me because of all the trouble I've given you,"

"First off, the personal drama was about your former friends showing up and causing trouble. And as soon as they tried; I shut them down. Secondly, that day in school…I warned them twice to stop. I was not in the mood to deal with their childish antics, so when the pushed; I shoved back. Lastly, I'm not heartless, Astrid. I knew something wasn't right after they ditched you. That's why I wanted to give you a ride home, and I found you in the alley. I couldn't leave you there to get mugged, raped, or killed no matter how you've treated me over the years. That's not the kind of guy I am," Hiccup retorted.

"You did the right thing, son," Stoick said.

"As we raised you," Valka added.

"Yeah, yeah. Be good to everyone, even if they aren't to you. Always stay humble and kind," Hiccup recited. "The bottom line, Astrid; is that I helped you because you needed it, and I forced you because I know you're stubborn. You're going to stay here until you get back on your feet,"

"You know people are going to talk, don't you?" Astrid glanced at Hiccup.

"Do you think that even remotely bothers me?" Hiccup inquired. "It's no different than when those idiots were your friends. You get used to it after a while, very few things set me off. And hey, if they give me crap; I'll just remind them that what I said in October is true; that I know who my real friends are,"

"Hiccup, people are going to think so many wrong things about me living here…" Astrid muttered.

"So what, Astrid. You do what I do, and go on about your day; ignore them or give a sarcastic response. I don't care what they have to say because at the end of the day; I know that it's just rumors. I know what is true and what is not. Let them talk; it's only words," Hiccup enlightened.

"You flipped out when they were talking lies about your girlfriend and daughter…" Astrid reminded. Hiccup didn't say anything at first. Astrid watched him get up, and take Runa from Gobber. Finally, Hiccup sighed.

"I got mad because I'm not going to let those assholes talk about situations they don't understand and don't deserve to know the truth about," Hiccup informed, then he walked away. Astrid watched him leave the room, not quite grasping what she said to upset him.

"Don't take it personally, lassie," Gobber said. "Hiccup's just going through some stuff right now,"

"And unfortunately, Hiccup needs more time to get past it," Stoick added. Astrid was confused now. What was Hiccup going through that he needed more time for? Does it have to do with that day in school when Hiccup got mad? Had something happened between Hiccup and Olivia? Astrid didn't know, and right now, she doubted Hiccup was willing to open up about things.

"Now, do you have everything you need, sweetie?" Valka asked Astrid.

Astrid nodded. "I do upstairs in my bags,"

"Why don't you head back up and get settled in? You're going to be with us for a bit, so you might as well make yourself comfortable here," Valka offered with a smile.

"Okay, and thank you again for letting me stay," Astrid said, then got up and navigated her way back to her room to unpack her things and relax a little since there was no school today. An hour or so later; she was finished and laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Astrid gave a heavy sigh. _I guess this is home for now._ Astrid thought before closing her eyes.


	27. Did It For You

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Did It For You

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Wednesday, February 9, 2022-9 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

Tuesday the 8th marked a full week that Astrid had been living inside Haddock Manor with Hiccup, Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Runa, and the other staff who resided on the grounds. Astrid was entirely settled into the room Hiccup provided her. Valka took Astrid shopping for clothes on Friday night the 4th of February since Valka noticed that Astrid didn't have a lot of things to wear. Astrid was against them helping her, but Hiccup reminded Astrid that everyone needed a little help sometimes. Astrid gave in and decided not to argue because in truth; she was grateful that the Haddocks were helping her out in this time of need where she had been left alone to fend for herself. Stoick continued working on the will situation but hadn't made much headway in location a loophole to get Astrid the things she was meant to have in the event her parents passed away. Things at school had been somewhat calm, except for Astrid purposely trying to make sure she wasn't seen with Hiccup anymore than in their shared classes together.

Astrid was thankful for his help, but she didn't want anyone having more ammunition in giving her trouble regarding her state of life as it were. Hiccup and Astrid would arrive in the morning; then she would hurry along to her first-period course. At the end of the day, Astrid would meet Hiccup by his Jeep. Dagur would take Toothless and Stormfly home along with his Gronckle, Shattermaster. If it were a night Astrid didn't have work, she would take Stormfly under Dagur's guidance. Astrid could fly Stormfly as long as she was with an adult licensed dragon rider flier. Hiccup was an exception to some of the laws because of his extensive dragon knowledge and owning a Night Fury. However, at school; Astrid heard the whispers about why Hiccup was always seen arriving at the academy with Astrid in his Jeep. The leaving part made sense, not showing up together in the morning. Currently, Astrid and Hiccup were both in Language Arts with Gruffnut, Snotlout, Camicazi, Eret, and Nadia.

"I will be right back, stay put and keep workin'," Mr. Mildew Fungis told them firmly, then he departed from the classroom.

"Hic," Snotlout got Hiccup's attention.

"What?" Hiccup replied.

"What's the deal with Saturday night? We still allowed to come over and game even though there's that event?" Snotlout asked. "Tuff, Legs, and Dag wanna know,"

"Not sure. Gotta talk to mom and dad, but I'll let ya know," Hiccup responded.

"Okay, cool. If we're allowed, are the girls invited?" Snotlout wondered.

"You know they are always welcome. Them coming is up to them and their parents," Hiccup reminded. "My parents typically don't care because they know we just sit in the basement to game or watch a movie,"

"True," Snotlout nodded, then went back to texting. Moments later, Hiccup felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Hiccup pulled it out and checked to see something from Astrid.

 **Astrid[9:03 am]  
** _ **What event happening Sat?**_

Hiccup quickly thumbed back a response to her.

 **Hiccup[9:04 am]** _  
_ _ **Party dad hosting house.**_

Astrid saw his reply, then slipped her phone away. It didn't matter, but she wanted to make sure she was out of the way for whatever was going on. It looked like if Hiccup's parents said it was okay, then all Hiccup's friends were coming over to game in the basement, and possibly sleepover too. Astrid didn't know if Hiccup told his friends that she was living with him; it didn't seem like he kept secrets from his group.

"Ast," Nadia whispered. Astrid ignored her.

"Hey…" Gruffnut tried. Astrid focused on her work.

"Astrid. Come on," Camicazi attempted to get Astrid's attention.

"We know you can hear us," Eret retorted.

"Astrid…" Nadia said louder.

"Ast, hey…Hey!" Gruffnut continued. Finally, Astrid whipped around with her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, my Thor…What? What is it? If I wanted to talk to you; I wouldn't have answered the first time. So what the hell do you want?" Astrid snapped angrily.

"Miss. Hofferson!" Mildew stated as Astrid flinched right away as she turned to see that Mr. Fungis had returned. Astrid heard the four behind her snickering. "I believe I said to keep working,"

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Fungis. I-I was wor-," Astrid began quickly.

"If you're going to be in this class, then you follow my rules. I stepped out for five minutes, and return to find you yelling at innocent students who are doing as they were told. Perhaps a little time in Mr. Meatsen's office can remind you of your responsibilities in class," Mildew huffed.

"I-I was working, Sir. Th-They started with me," Astrid tried.

"Blaming others for your screw-ups, interrupting class time when you should be working. Your grades can't afford your attitude to interfere," Mildew went on as Astrid cast her eyes to the desk. "Your parents would be sorely disappointed at how you've turned out in their," Astrid closed her eyes sadly at the mention of her parents.

"Mr. Mildew!" Hiccup spoke up as all eyes fell on him. "That's enough,"

"Excuse me. Who are you to tell me how to run my class, Mr. Haddock?" Mildew spat out.

"You just told me who I was. I'm Mr. Haddock, a student in this class and a fellow teacher for the Dragon Training course. Might I remind you that it is our job as educators to teach the students, and you are degrading one of yours," Hiccup remarked cooly.

"What you do in your class is your decision; in mine, she-," Mildew started.

"Has done nothing wrong," Hiccup cut in, taking Astrid by surprise. "So you have no right to be publically degrading her in front of the entire class, mentioning her grades; all of which are private between teacher and student unless permission is given to reveal such. How can you stand there and accuse her of not working and disrupting others? You weren't in the room, and you didn't see what happened,"

"Well, I…Came back to see her yelling at Mr. Thorston, Mr. Trapp, Miss. Warrier, and Miss. Boggs, who appear to be doing as I said," Mildew informed.

"But you still didn't see what happened while you were gone, so it's unfair to accuse Miss. Hofferson of the things you are when you don't know. It's highly unprofessional and makes you, if I can be frank, an asshole," Hiccup stated. Mr. Mildew fumed angrily as what Hiccup said, his brows furrowing.

"I don't care if you're a teacher or not; you aren't right now in my class. I saw what I saw, and I want Astrid out of my-," Mildew began as this time, Hiccup's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You have zero right to throw her out of class with those four idiots behind Astrid purposely aggravated her to get pissed off. Astrid ignored them and focused on her work. When they persisted, she got angry. I'm a witness, so is Snotlout, and anyone else. Those four would do anything to avoid getting into trouble and look like saints," Hiccup informed.

"I don't care. I want her out, and you as well for talking ba-," Mildew tried.

"Go ahead, throw me out of class, but if I go down to the principal's office; I'm telling him that you didn't adhere to the teacher's code of conduct in respecting a student's privacy," Hiccup warned as Mildew flinched. "And I'll add in that you degraded Miss. Hofferson, accusing her without proof. Also, that you were about to tell Astrid how disappointed her parents would be in her if they were still here. Verbally attacking your students is a fireable offense; I will take it right to Mr. Meatsen, and you'll be out of this school by next period. Perhaps consider that in your calculations of throwing us out of class. Astrid is innocent, and I'm free as a teacher in this establishment to call you out on your bull when you're in the wrong," he added.

Flustered, angry, but defeated; Mildew turned from them both and returned to his desk. "Fine; I won't throw you out," he said finally.

"And I believe you owe Miss. Hofferson an apology," Hiccup remarked.

"I apologized for accusing you, Miss. Hofferson and I hope you can forgive my previous statements towards you," Mildew said, hatefully. Astrid only nodded, getting back to the work they were supposed to be doing. Astrid, though, couldn't believe Hiccup stuck up for her and proved her innocence to the teacher. Hiccup didn't seem to care if anyone saw him helping her out, and yet, Astrid still felt weird about accepting it. Hiccup could have gotten into a lot of trouble for what he said if he hadn't been a teacher too. One thing she did notice is that as much of a model student Hiccup was; he would throw his earned weight around if necessary.

 **. . .**

 _ **{9:45 am}**_

It was one of the classes that Hiccup's friends and Astrid's former gang had together; Physical Education. And Hiccup was in the mood to embarrass the fuck out of seven people who had been giving Astrid trouble all day. Hiccup knew that Astrid didn't know he knew what happened, but secretly, and maybe slightly stalkerishly; Hiccup had been making sure to keep an eye on her throughout the day if they weren't in the same class. Right now, Hiccup could see that Astrid was the last one out of the girl's locker room; her hair messed up and rubbing her arms, walking with a slight limp that she was desperately trying to hide.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. J-Just slipped and fell in the locker room," Astrid replied as the teacher, Mr. Sven Silenson, began taking a roll call of the student. Hiccup could see Nadia, Ragna, and Camicazi grinning and snickering a little as they had walked out two minutes before Astrid did. Astrid wouldn't look over at them; she kept her head down.

 _Time to even the score…_ Hiccup thought.

 **. . .**

Towards the end of gym class, Hiccup came up with the perfect plan to get back at the populars for giving Astrid trouble. Now, he just needed a little time to put it into motion.

"Dude, get your head in the game!" Tuffnut called to Hiccup. Snapping from his thoughts, Fishlegs tossed Hiccup the basketball. Dribbling a few times, Thuggory and Eret were coming at him to take the ball. Hiccup looked around quickly.

"Snot! Net launch position!" Hiccup yelled. Snotlout moved from his spot and got closer to the net; Hiccup hucked the ball to Tuffnut as Hiccup spread his legs into a semi-split while Thuggory and Eret collided with one another. Hiccup got away from them as he rushed to the hoop and Tuffnut passed the ball back. Snotlout put his hands together and lowered them down as Hiccup put a foot in, then Snotlout lifted Hiccup up to slam dunk the ball into the hoop.

"Winner; Vikings!" Mr. Silenson announced. Hiccup dropped down in a crouch, then stood up as his friends were surrounding him, the seven connecting hands and cheering. Astrid couldn't believe that move; it was incredible. Then again, Hiccup had a full basketball court in his basement; it made sense he knew his way around the game.

"Brilliantly played, Hiccup," Minden said.

"Yeah, was worth it to see those two collide," Heather giggled seeing Eret and Thuggory managed to get up, hands on their heads. On the next round, Astrid had the ball and was rammed into by Ragna. Astrid did make the shot but landed on the gymnasium floor, a hand on her side. The whistle blew as Sven got up.

"Foul!" Sven shouted, hurrying over to check on Astrid.

"What did I do?" Ragna argued.

"This is not football, Miss. Falk. No ramming!" Sven informed. "Are you alright, Astrid?" Heather helped Astrid up.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay, Mr. Silenson," Astrid nodded, cringing a little.

"You should go to the nurse for some ice," Sven stated.

Hiccup saw his chance to leave the class. "I'll take her, Mr. Silenson," he offered. The man nodded as Hiccup carefully helped Astrid to the doors, then out of them and down to the nurse's office. In there, Myra said that Astrid should lay down and give her side a little rest, and that Hiccup could return to class. Hiccup left once more then back to the gym; only he went the back way through the girl's locker room. Sneaking around, he found Nadia, Ragna, and Camicazi's things in their shower stalls for after the class ended. Hiccup smirked a little, then got to work on the first phase of his plan.

 **. . .**

 _ **{10:35 am}**_

Myra released Astrid back to the gym so she could get her things for next class, and Astrid was not expecting to be waiting with everyone except Nadia, Camicazi, and Ragna, who were still in the locker room. Two minutes before the bell rang, the three girls came out wearing their casual clothes instead of the uniform.

"Girls, uniforms!" Sven reminded.

"We can't," Nadia muttered.

"Our bags fell off the benches in the showers and soaked our uniforms…" Ragna mumbled afterward.

"This is all we have until the end of the day," Camicazi added, slightly embarrassed. Nadia wore light blue jeans, a yellow spaghetti strap shirt with her pink bra was showing slightly. Ragna had on a blue jean skirt, then a white t-shirt, that was a little wet around the midsection. Camicazi had on white leggings, then a pink tank-top where her black bra showed through slightly. The others in class waiting for the bell started giggled or chuckling. Astrid saw Hiccup standing there with his arms over his chest, a satisfied smile on his face.

 _Did he have something to do with this?_ Astrid wondered.

"Priceless, man," Snotlout and Tuffnut said quickly fist-bumping them. Astrid saw Hiccup look at her, then wink. Yeah, Hiccup had something to do with it for sure.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:40 am}**_

Astrid was making her way to the cafeteria when Ragna shoved her into the wall.

"Bitch," Nadia said.

"What the fuck do I do?" Astrid retorted quickly.

"We know you were the one who knocked over our things!" Camicazi accused.

"Wh-What?" Astrid's eyes widened a little. They thought she did it. "How could I have? I was in the nurse's office!?"

"God's, you're so petty!" Ragna shoved her again. Hiccup happened to be coming out of the boy's bathroom to see the sight. Hiccup stayed hidden around the corner, listening.

"Stay out of our way," Nadia pushed her into the wall again.

"I did nothing; you came to me!" Astrid protested. Camicazi kicked Astrid's shin, then Ragna made it, so Astrid's head hit the wall. Hiccup turned the other way, heading to the Home Ec room.

 **. . .**

Hiccup managed to get into the cafeteria before the populars arrived, and he set everything up without looking suspicious. Afterward, Hiccup hid outside the room to watch. Astrid went looking for a table to sit at after getting her meal and couldn't find one. Frowning, she prepared to leave the cafeteria.

"Astrid, hey…Why don't you come sit with us?" Heather offered.

"N-No, it's okay…" Astrid shook her head.

"Come on; we got plenty of room," Fishlegs said. Astrid sighed but went to sit with them as they insisted. Around 12 pm, the populars strolled in and took their seats at the table next to Hiccup and his friends'. Seconds after they were down, all of them rose to their feet, looking at the chairs in shock.

"Oh, my gods!" Camicazi squealed in fear almost.

"Why are the seats wet?!" Gruffnut exclaimed. Suddenly the lunchroom began laughing and pointing at them with phones out to video and take pictures. Astrid had a perfect view of seeing the girls' pants or skirts soaked with wetness, and there was a yellow liquid on the floor, dripping off the chairs. The guys had wet spots too; it was downright hilarious because it looked like they'd pissed themselves.

"What's the matter, guys?" Tuffnut teased.

"Can't even use the bathroom without mommy and daddy's help?" Snotlout added with a grin. The girls looked horrified, and Camicazi, who was wearing white leggings had a red stain that looked like blood. Astrid instantly thought back to when she had the miscarriage, how all three of them made fun of her. The populars rushed out of the cafeteria in a hurry, the females almost in tears from the mortification of what happened while the males looked positively embarrassed and pissed off about the situation.

"Gods, that was hilarious!" Ruffnut laughed with Minden and Heather. Astrid knew it had to be a prank and set up to humiliate them, but who would have set up such an extensive operation in so little time. Suddenly, Astrid saw Hiccup walking in calmly while on his phone. Hiccup sat down in his chair, seeing the sight of the popular's table.

"What did I miss?" Hiccup wondered.

His friends began to tell him what they witnessed as Astrid felt her phone vibrate. Lifting the device into her lap, she saw a message from Hiccup on the screen.

 **Hiccup[12:06 pm]  
** _ **Payback is a bitch, isn't it? One might even call it Karma.**_

Astrid's eyes widened. Then another message came through.

 **Hiccup[12:07 pm]  
** _ **Hope you enjoyed the show. I did it for you.**_

Astrid immediately looked at Hiccup in shock as he smiled softly, then he put a finger to his lips and winked at her. Astrid couldn't believe it; Hiccup set that prank up to humiliate her former friends in front of everyone just as they'd done to her. And Hiccup did it for her.


	28. How Wrong They Were

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

How Wrong They Were

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, February 12, 2022- 4:00 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Something I had not expected to learn Friday night the 11th, was that Stoick Haddock had been elected as the Mayor of Archia Isle. I didn't even know he was running, but I guess maybe I tuned all that out because my father had been the Mayor; I didn't want to hear anything about a replacement. I did understand, though, that someone had to step up to do the job. I guess Stoick won by a landslide, and I was happy for him. At least I knew our home was in the hands of a someone who knew how my dad wanted things to be. Stoick had been my father's friend, advisor, lawyer, so Stoick would keep situations and decisions in the same range as my father would have. This was the event that Hiccup and Snotlout were talking about on Wednesday morning. Starting at 5 pm, people would begin arriving for a celebration at Haddock Manor. One reason was for Valka Haddock's birthday, and the second was due to the Mayorship election and Stoick winning it. A lot of guests would be coming, and the event was being held in the Ballroom. I wasn't looking forward to all this; I remember this party each time my dad won, and I was terrified if I could make it through tonight knowing that I wouldn't be at my parent's side this time.

Hiccup's friends would be coming among the people attending, and their families too. Hiccup worked a compromise with his old man about it; that they'd be part of the event as long as they could stay over after it was finished. Hiccup even offered to provide the entertainment, which was his music. Stoick agreed to the terms but added that Hiccup had to be part of the party the entire time. No sneaking off, no messing around, and acting the way he knew he had to. Hiccup agreed to all of it, and then his father said that Hiccup had to wear a formal suit, and that's when I saw Hiccup groan in defeat over dinner on Wednesday night. Hiccup entirely expressed how much he hated wearing a suit and tie. I recall that even at the funeral for my parents; Hiccup wore black jeans and sneakers, then a nice, button-down shirt that got tucked in. However, Hiccup agreed to his father's side of the deal, so that's how I knew Snotlout, Fishlegs, Heather, Dagur, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden would be coming tonight. And Runa was with Olivia, or so I assumed.

Truthfully since I began living here; I haven't seen Olivia over once. I suppose it did raise the question from that day in lunch when Eret and my former friends pissed Hiccup off; did something happen to Olivia and Hiccup? I didn't know, and I also remember what Hiccup told me; to keep Olivia and Runa out of our mouths. I didn't want to anger him, so I would respect his demand. Valka took me shopping, again, on Friday night when I got home from school because I needed a dress for the party. I picked the simplest thing in my favorite color that was appropriate and cheap. I was going to wear the black heels that I wore with my school uniform with the dress; it was easier, and I likely wouldn't do any makeup either. You know, the weirdest thing about this election is that it was never made public. I think Stoick was voted in by the higher up people in Denmark, which is East of Archia Isle, and they have people higher up the chain of command who step in when the mayor in his or her current term just passes away and can't complete their duties. However, this must have been decided a while back because I recall Dagur coming to the school and Hiccup mentioning that his father was busy, and everyone would know why soon.

I assume that night; things would be made public by formal announcement. Stoick would get announced as the Mayor, then his wife and son, as the Mayor's Family. I recall how this went, so that's how I knew it would probably happen. Thus far today, I've relaxed most of it and spent some time with Stormfly in the stables. I guess it was alright living here; I could see Stormfly all the time now. I haven't seen Hiccup since after lunch in the family room. I know Olivia's father came to collect Runa a little before that. I felt like something was bothering him, but I knew it wasn't my place to ask him. Yes, I lived here thanks to his family's kindness, and Hiccup's sympathy the night of the storm when he took me in off the streets, but that didn't mean we were buddies. I was more or less a roommate that he was helping out, and in this arrangement; we only saw one another when he had to. Other than that; we kept to ourselves and stayed out of one another's spaces. I still can't get over him humiliating my former friends on Wednesday; that was the best thing I'd ever seen, and the hilarious part is no one knows who did it except for me, and maybe Hiccup's friends. I doubt he kept something like that from them.

Either way, I was grateful for what Hiccup did. It was nice to see those seven get humiliated the way I did because of them. And I never knew Hiccup could be so damn sneaky; it was fantastic. Those pictures and videos were circulating, so the rest of this year should be interesting because nobody was going to let them live that prank down. And I sure as hell wouldn't forget it either. Right now, I'm in my room getting ready for the party. It was almost time for this to begin.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{4:15 pm}**_

Fifteen minutes passed as Astrid looked out her window and was able to see everyone arriving. The first people spotted were Snotlout, Spitelout, Frida, and Adelaide. Then it was Fishlegs, Alvin, and Termagant. After them, it was Minden and her parents, Odda and Alvis, arriving with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who were also with their parents, Buffnut and Elin. Heather and Dagur showed up last in the group of Hiccup's friends with their father, Oswald. However, a group of people she didn't expect to see arriving was Eret, Nadia, Thuggory, Camicazi, Ragna, and Gruffnut. All with their parents or parent. Astrid knew the Camicazi's father passed away overseas when she was still young, so it was just her and her mother, Bertha Boggs now on Bog-Burglar Islands. Ragna's parents were Gunnar and Erika Falk, all from Lava-Lout Island. Eret was from the Waterlands, and his father was also named Eret, but the First. Astrid knew that Eret's mother was Arnora Trapp.

Nadia's father passed away from cancer when she was three, so Nadia lived with her mother, Halla Warrier, on Wingmaiden Island. Gruffnut was a cousin to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and his parents were Spearnut and Hilde. Gruffnut lives on Berk as well. Finally, Thuggory's was from Meathead Island, and his parents were Mogadon and Rania Meatsen. Astrid didn't know why those seven had come, but they must have gotten invited; she knew this was a private event by invitation only. Just was Astrid didn't need, and she was sure Hiccup wouldn't be thrilled either. Unless of course, he already knew and that's why he was hiding out. The event didn't start for another forty-five minutes, so why were these people here already? Downstairs, Hiccup's friends had come with bags.

"Hi, Uncle Stoick," Adelaide greeted.

"You kids can take your bags up to Hiccup's room. Pretty sure he's there, or maybe in the basement. He's having one of his days, so be mindful," Valka informed.

"Why don't you six join them? Things down here don't start for another fifteen minutes anyway," Stoick added.

"Okay," the populars smiled, nodding to Stoick. All of them had been warned once by their parents not to cause trouble tonight.

"Uh, Mr. Haddock…I-I don't think that's a good idea if Hiccup's having one of his days…" Fishlegs mentioned.

"We'll be okay; we're not here to give him a hard time. I'm sure we're past all that," Thuggory mentioned.

"See?" Stoick motioned. Dagur leaned towards Stoick, putting his hand up to cover his mouth.

"They don't know what happened, Mr. Haddock. In fact, it was them mentioning her that set Hiccup off in November," Dagur whispered. Stoick sighed a bit.

"I assumed they knew," Stoick stated, now he looked at the six, who didn't understand what was being talked about. "Listen, kids. I'm not gonna go into the details because it's Hiccup's business, but he's dealing with some personal things right now. And some days are harder than others, so please try to bear that in mind tonight," Stoick informed.

"We will," the six said together, smiling still. Snotlout and the others sighed but headed for the stairs with the populars following closely.

"So…What was that all about?" Gruffnut asked.

"None of your business," Ruffnut remarked.

"If Hiccup wanted you to know; he'd tell you," Dagur added. The rest of the walk was silent as they reached Hiccup's room. Snotlout knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

"Hic, hey! It's us, you in there?" Snotlout asked. No reply back. Snotlout turned went to the door where the Sitting Room/Library was, turning the handle as he walked in and looked around. No Hiccup. Snotlout checked through the glass doors leading into Hiccup's bedroom and still didn't see him. "Nothing," Snotlout informed.

"Well, his mom said he might be in the basement too," Camicazi reminded. The friends dropped their things in the sitting room, then they left, turning back to use the elevator to go down to the cellar. After Astrid heard that they had left, she exited the room to use the central stairs to move to the where the library was, then use those stairs to get into the basement where she went past the pool and workout rooms to find Hiccup sitting on the couch. The man still wearing his jeans, a green t-shirt, and brown socks. Hiccup hadn't even noticed her; his eyes were glued to the TV, watching what appeared to be home videos. Astrid looked across the way to where the elevator was, seeing the others file out and then Dagur putting his arm out to stop anyone from crossing the way between Hiccup and the television.

Hiccup was reclined on the couch, one leg up and the other carelessly dangling over the edge. It was as if he was in his world; he didn't say anything to them or even acknowledge they were there. Hiccup looked miserable, and no one had ever seen him like that before. Well, his friends had, but not the populars or Astrid.

"What are you doing here?" Ragna questioned in a whispered tone.

"She was invited as a friend of the family," Heather stated. Hiccup still didn't say anything to them; he just lifted the remote up and changed the video he was watching. Astrid made her way over to the others, standing next between Ruffnut and Minden. The video on showed a hospital room with Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Birger, Olivia's parents, Runa in Valka's arms. Olivia was the one in the bed, hooked up to IV's and monitors. Hiccup was on her right, holding her hand tightly. Olivia looked nothing like the female they remembered seeing in October. This girl was pale, sickly pale, and weak.

" _He's sitting at the table. The hours get later. She was supposed to be here; he was sure she would have called. He waits a little longer; there's no one in the driveway. No one's said they'd seen her, why, is something wrong? He looks back to the window, suddenly, the phone rings. A voice says something's happened, and he should come right now."_ Hiccup started singing.

"You know we shouldn't be letting him watch this…" Fishlegs mentioned. "He's torturing himself with it; you remember what happened last time,"

"Leave it be, Legs," Tuffnut sighed. The six populars and even Astrid didn't understand what was happening. Astrid wondered if this was why Hiccup had been so down lately. Hiccup pressed another button, turning up the sound.

" _His mind goes to November; he thinks of when he asked her. He bent down on his knees first, and he said,"_ Hiccup continued as their eyes fell on the screen when they saw Hiccup get on one knee, holding a ring between his fingers. _"I want you forever. Forever and always. Through the good, and the bad, and the ugly. We'll grow old together, forever and always,"_ Hiccup's eyes never left the video he was watching. It was at this time that they saw Hiccup move his hand to hold a set of rings that were on a necklace and had been hidden under his shirt.

" _ **Liv…I want you forever and always. However long that is. Whatever time we have left; I want it with you. Will you marry me?" Hiccup asked her.**_

 _ **Olivia almost cried, but she put her hand on his. "Yes," she replied with no hesitation. Hiccup got up, putting the ring on her finger, then kissed her gently.**_

" _ **I love you," Hiccup rested his forehead on hers.**_

" _ **I love you too," Olivia responded lovingly.**_

"Let him enjoy the memories, as painful as they might be," Dagur said. "He's got us to get him through it; he just needs time,"

"But how much, guys? He's not even remotely close to getting over it, even though it's been a few months," Ruffnut said.

"As long as it takes," Snotlout stated.

" _He pulls up to the entrance. He walks right to the front desk. They lead him down a million halls; a maze that's never-ending. They talk about what happened, but he can barely hear them. He tries to keep a straight face as he walks into the room. He sits by her bedside, holds her hand too tight. They talk about the kids they're gonna have, and the good life. A house on the hillside, where they would stay,"_ Hiccup took a shaky breath.

" _Stay there forever. Forever and always. Through the good, and the bad, and the ugly. We'll grow old together, and always remember; whether rich, for poor or for better. We'll still love each other, forever and always,"_ Hiccup sang, but Astrid had noticed his body began to shake a bit. _"Then they get an idea and call in the nurses, bring up the chaplain, and he says a couple verses. They borrow some rings and stand before the door; everybody's laughing, as the tears fall on the floor. He looks into her eyes, and he says…"_

The video jumped to later on where Olivia was wearing a white gown and bridal headband with a small veil behind her. Hiccup was wearing a suit, Runa in a little pink dress. The nurses were helping to hold Olivia up as she stood before Hiccup, their hands connected. At this point, Hiccup's eyes were seen watering as a few tears began to slip down his cheeks. The others normally would have teased, but they couldn't bring themselves to while seeing this, and Astrid felt her heart tightening; going out for Hiccup.

" _I want you forever. Forever and always. Through the good, and the bad, and the ugly. We'll grow old together, and always remember; whether happy, or sad, or whatever. We'll still love each other, forever and always. Forever and always! Forever and always…"_ Hiccup continued as he lowered his leg and leaned forward more.

" _ **I, Olivia Holgerson, take you Hiccup Haddock to be my lawfully wedded husband. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. Through good, bad, happy, and sad times. From this day forward, I promise to love you forever and always," Olivia said to Hiccup. "With this ring, I bind my life to yours, and as this band has no end, neither will my love for you," she placed a ring on Hiccup's finger.**_

" _ **I, Hiccup Haddock, take you Olivia Holgerson to be my lawfully wedded wife. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. Through good, bad, happy, and sad times. From this day forward, I promise to love you forever and always," Hiccup said to her. "With this ring, I bind my life to yours, and as this band has no end, neither will my love for you," he placed a ring on Olivia's finger.**_

" _ **With the power vested in me by the town of Berk, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the chaplain said, closing his book. Hiccup and Olivia kissed.**_

" _He finishes the vows, but the beeps are getting too slow; her voice is almost too low…"_ Afterward, Hiccup picked Olivia up in his arms, carrying her to the bed as the beeps were indeed getting slower. Olivia panted a bit, cupping Hiccup's face and smiling the best she was able.

" _ **I love you, Hiccup. You and Runa with all my heart. And remember that even if I'm not here; I'll love and be with you both, forever and always," Olivia whispered.**_

Valka handed Runa to Hiccup as the family of three hugged, then Hiccup kissed Olivia deeply.

" _As she says; I love you forever. Forever and always. Please just remember, even if I'm not there; I'll always love you, forever and always."_ Hiccup finished, the tears falling. No sooner than he broke the kiss on the video, Olivia kissed Runa's forehead gently, lightly touching her face before Olivia's eyes closed, and she flatlined. Hiccup's face fell, holding Runa against him as he let tears fall freely.

" _ **Forever and always,"**_ **Hiccup whispered, then Olivia's arm dropped.**

Olivia died. Mere seconds after marrying Hiccup with a little hospital bedside wedding; Olivia passed away. Something told Astrid and the six populars that this is what Snotlout meant that day in lunch when he said they'd gone too far. The video got rewound to the last moment Olivia was alive, and Hiccup paused it there, just staring. Finally, he lowered his head, crying. Not long after, Hiccup brought his palms up and cried into them. Astrid and the others didn't move, but Snotlout turned away and began pushing them to leave too.

"I hope you understand now why I said you went too far..." Snotlout sighed.

"Let's go. I think Hiccup just needs a little time," Dagur added, helping Snotlout to get everyone to file out so Hiccup could be alone to mourn the loss of the woman he loved.

It was now that Astrid and her former friends, and ex-boyfriend understood that Hiccup bailed that day during training because he got a call about Olivia, and this was that day. It showed on the timestamp at the bottom right of the screen. And Hiccup took all the time off to mourn; even now, he still was a few months later. The seven realized that Olivia did leave Hiccup as they teased, but not the way they thought. And for once; they didn't like how awful it felt knowing how wrong they were to assume the things they did.


	29. Still Young

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Still Young

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, February 12, 2022-4:25 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I finally understood why Hiccup got pissed off that day in November and ended up socking Eret in the face for talking about Olivia leaving Hiccup. And I think it finally made sense now the morning after Hiccup brought me here to live at Haddock Manor, why he said what he did about not letting _those assholes_ talk about the situation they didn't understand. Olivia did leave Hiccup, but not the way they were teasing Hiccup about. Olivia was sick and had passed away shortly after marrying Hiccup in the hospital. This is why Hiccup rushed away from Dragon Training after getting a phone call; it was because of Olivia, and he had to be at her side when she went. My heart went out to him, and right now; I didn't blame Hiccup for any of the things he said that day at lunch because he had every right to be upset. I'm not sure if the wedding was legal or not, but I didn't think Hiccup cared; he just wanted that moment with Olivia because he loved her. As it stood, Dagur and Snotlout were trying to urge us from the basement to give Hiccup some time alone. Though, I wondered if this is where Hiccup had been since giving Runa to Olivia's father. Has Hiccup been down in the basement watching videos of Olivia, Runa, and himself? Is this why Hiccup said the day Dagur brought Runa to the school that he and Runa were still adjusting to life without her? And it was coming to mind now; is this the reason Hiccup sang that song when my and my former friends and ex were stuck here for two days, then Hiccup walked away with Runa into the nursery. Was it all to do with Olivia passing?

Of course, that last part didn't make sense. Olivia had still been alive when we were stranded here. Or was it that Hiccup knew Olivia didn't have long left?! Oh, my Gods; that would explain everything. Olivia must have been sick for a while, and Hiccup knew that Olivia wouldn't be with him and Runa much longer, so he had been preparing for the goodbye! I've never seen Hiccup cry, and it broke my heart to see how upset he was on the couch right now.

"Come," Dagur told me.

"He's mourning, as his friends you should be comforting him," I mentioned.

"If he wanted comfort, he would have acknowledged we were here. And I'm sure he does know, but it's clear he wants to be alone right now, so we will respect that," Dagur remarked as we got into the elevator, then the doors closed as we returned to the main level.

 **. . .**

 _ **(Main Level)**_

We reached where the adults were, and they noticed us right away.

"Did you find him?" Stoick inquired.

"Aye, Uncle Stoick…We did," Snotlout informed.

"Well, where is he?" Gobber wondered.

"In the basement, mourning…" Heather frowned.

"On a scale of one to ten?" Valka questioned.

"Right now, about a nine. He was watching the wedding," Adelaide stated gently.

"I'll go talk to him," Valka put her hand on Stoick's arm, then left his side to speak with Hiccup.

"He's not having an easy time with it, is he, brother?" Spitelout looked at Stoick.

"No, but that's to be expected when you love so deeply and have to let go; even though Hiccup knew months in advance what the diagnosis was. Olivia got sick right before she found out she was pregnant and chose to continue the pregnancy knowing it would weaken her without the medications that could have saved her life. We knew it was only a matter of time after the birth of Runa," Stoick sighed.

"I never asked back then, but I curious; was that wedding real?" Gobber inquired.

"Every bit of it. I got the forms for parental consent that two seventeen-year-olds marry. And as a lawyer; I legalized it. Val got the bands that her parents wore for them to use. The chaplain performed the ceremony correctly; there were plenty of witnesses present. So yes, Gobber; for a brief few moments, Hiccup was married to Olivia," Stoick stated. Wow, I couldn't believe it. Hiccup did get married, and Olivia was his wife. "It's what Olivia had wanted when she first told Hiccup about the illness; to be able to do everything she could before she went. No matter what; she just wanted to act as nothing had changed to have a normal life like anyone else. Olivia told Hiccup that she wanted to have Runa, and for them to get married to live whatever days they had left together as husband and wife. Hiccup said he wanted to marry her when he turned eighteen, but when the time was running out; we didn't deny them," Stoick added afterward.

Five minutes passed as Valka returned to her husband's side. "How is he, Val?" Frida, Spitelout's wife, asked.

"Heading to his room to get ready," Valka informed.

"What did you say to him?" Stoick asked.

"Don't you worry about what I said, Stoick. I got him to calm down and start getting ready for tonight," Valka stated.

"Fair enough," Stoick replied.

"Can I ask a dumb question?" Gruffnut spoke up.

"Better than anyone I know," I muttered.

"Zip it, Astrid. What is tonight for?" Thuggory questioned.

"Uncle Stoick was elected the new Mayor of Archia Isle. Tonight is that celebration, and it's also Aunt Valka's forty-seventh birthday," Snotlout remarked.

"Oh," the six said understanding now.

Stoick checked his watch. "It's going on 4:40 pm and people are starting to arrive. Why don't you kids go make sure Hiccup is almost ready?" he said.

"Sure thing, Mr. Haddock," Ruffnut smiled as once more, the group, all of them, moved back upstairs.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Hiccup's Room}**_

"Hiccup?" Dagur said, knocking on the door.

"Yeah?" Hiccup replied.

"We good to come in, brother?" Dagur questioned.

"Sure," Hiccup called back. Dagur opened the door as he walked in, then the others. "Really, them too?"

"It was your dad's idea," Fishlegs mentioned.

Hiccup sighed; his eyes were still red and puffy from crying. "Whatever, I don't even care. Find a spot and get comfortable; I still gotta shower,"

"Because that takes you long to do," Tuffnut chuckled. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he moved into his private bathroom, then closed the door.

 **. . .**

Seven minutes passed before Hiccup stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, then moved directly across the small hallway to get into his walk-in closet. As the clock hit 4:52 pm, Hiccup came out wearing a black shirt and pants. The shirt was tucked in, and a belt already in place. Hiccup sat on the edge of his bed to slip on the black socks and dress shoes. After tieing the laces, Hiccup stood to slip his arms into a gray vest, which he buttoned closed. Following that Hiccup grabbed the silver tie to put around his neck, then tied that in place and adjusted the collar of his shirt. Hiccup finally got the black jacket off the hanger and placed his arms in, then set it on his shoulders properly. Hiccup's hair, for once, was brushed down in the back and on the sides, but the front was swept over the right side; there was still a little wildness to it.

"You know, it's weird to see you in colors other than brown or green," Heather pointed out.

"It's fucking weird to see me in a suit…I hate this formal shit," Hiccup muttered.

"But you look hot," Ruffnut said.

"Sadly, I'm gonna have to agree," Nadia mentioned.

"And this is why I hate suits…" Hiccup sighed.

"Why? Because you get complimented?" I wondered.

"Because it seems to be the only way people notice me; I'm ignored otherwise for being a loser, remember? I don't exist unless I stand out of the crowd, and I hate doing that," Hiccup informed. "A suit shouldn't make the difference in being seen or not," he added. There was another knock on the door. "What?"

"It's starting, son. You ready?" Stoick asked as he walked in. "Is that the one your mom wanted you to wear?"

"I was going to wear the brown one with a green shirt and black tie, but It's her birthday, so how could I deny her request?" Hiccup replied. It was no they noticed that Hiccup and Stoick were wearing the same suit. Stoick was in black pants and a shirt, gray vest and tie, black shoes.

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Anyway, you remember what I told you during introductions?" Stoick inquired.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded. "I'm escorting the guest of honor,"

"Who is that?" Eret asked.

"Astrid is because she's the former Mayor's daughter," Hiccup informed. "Everyone out!" he added. Everyone got up and moved out of the room, then downstairs. Hiccup saw his mother waiting for Stoick.

"It's time," Valka smiled brightly.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{5 pm}**_

 _ **(Ballroom)**_

Standing before the doors of the Ballroom, Stoick stood with Valka's arm linked to his. In the same form, Astrid was next to Hiccup.

"And now, friends, family, and guests…We present to you your new Mayor of Archia Isle, Stoick Haddock!" someone announced as Valka kissed Stoick's cheek, then removed her arm from Stoick's as he walked inside the cheering and applauding room full of guests.

"Thank you, thank you. It is an honor to be representing the island, but I can assure you that I couldn't have done this without the love and support of my family and friends. Most of them are right here, but there are two others who need to be recognized. First, I give you beautiful wife, Valka Haddock," more clapping as Valka entered the room and took her place on Stoick's right side. "And secondly, I present my only son, who will be coming in with tonight's guest of honor, the daughter of a man we all know, love, and miss. I give you my son, Hiccup Haddock the Third, escorting Astrid Hofferson!" Stoick called as Hiccup and Astrid both walked in and took the left side of Stoick; Hiccup first and Astrid after him. There was clapping as Astrid hated being recognized this way, the former Mayor's daughter.

"So can I just get my gifts to you and mom out of the way now?" Hiccup asked his father.

"It can't wait until after dinner?" Stoick questioned.

"Dinner isn't for another hour…" Hiccup mumbled.

"As you wish then," Stoick nodded as he gave Hiccup the microphone, then had Astrid go with him and then led Valka and Astrid off to the side. Hiccup held the device in his hands, tapping the top a bit.

"Can I get everyone's attention up here, please? Yes, thank you," Hiccup started as everyone quieted down and looked forward. "Alright, so tonight is pretty big for my dad becoming Mayor and all, but it's also my mother's forty-seventh birthday. So, as my father put me in charge of the entertainment, which will be music for you all; I thought we might kick it off with a little something I've prepared for them. But first, I have one song for both; something they taught me growing up to make me into the young man I am today. So Mom, Dad; this is for you…"

Hiccup moved to the laptop on the stand hooked up to two speakers. Dagur and Snotlout got two chairs to have Stoick and Valka sit down on in the middle of the floor before Hiccup, who pressed a button as the room stayed quiet.

" _You know there's a light that glows by the front door. Don't forget the keys under the mat. When childhood stars start shining, always stay humble and kind,"_ Hiccup began as Valka instantly held Stoick's hand, leaning her head on his shoulder while both smiled proudly. _"Go to church cause your mama says too. Visit grandpa every chance that you can. It won't be wasted time, always stay humble and kind,"_ Hiccup continued as the music picked up a bit.

" _Hold the door, say please, say thank you. Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie. I know you got mountains to climb, but always stay humble and kind. When the dreams your dreaming come to you. When the work you put in is realized. Let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind,"_ Hiccup sang. Snotlout handed Valka a tissue when she began tearing up.

Things softened again. _"Don't expect a free ride from no one. Don't hold a grudge or a chip, and here's why. Bitterness keeps you from flying; always stay humble and kind. Know the difference between sleeping with someone, and sleeping with someone you love. I love you ain't no pick-up line, so always stay humble and kind,"_ Hiccup went on as Stoick turned his head to kiss Valka's forehead, then they looked back at their son performing.

" _Hold the door, say please, say thank you. Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie. I know you got mountains to climb, but always stay humble and kind. When those dreams your dreaming come to you. When the work you put in is realized. Let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind. Yeah!"_ the music continued as Hiccup grabbed his guitar that had been sitting off to the side, beginning to play along until it softened to almost nothing again. Hiccup took a breath. _"When it's hot, eat a rootbeer popsicle. Shut off the AC and roll the windows down. Let that Summer sun shine, always stay humble and kind. Don't take for granted the love this life gives you. When you get where you're going; don't forget to turn back around. And help the next one in line. Always stay humble and kind."_ The music ended with a little guitar tune. Instantly, Valka and Stoick were up and clapping. Soon after, the rest of the room followed suit.

"Oh, that was wonderful, son!" Valka exclaimed.

"Well, you two were the inspiration. I got raised on those morals, and still live by them to this day," Hiccup reminded with a smile. "And now…if you'll take your seats again…I have your separate gifts to give. Mother, you first…" Hiccup added as he changed the song while Valka and Stoick returned to their chairs. A projector screen dropped from the ceiling, and Hiccup turned it on, then the projector turned on and showed Hiccup's computer screen as he was clicking through files until he found one that said; **Mom's Birthday Gift** , clicking it twice, it brought up the video player. "Frigga, dim the lights, please?"

" **Dimming the lights."**

The first thing seen after Hiccup maximized the window on the screen was an opening message. _**For the woman who gave me life, and whose love knows no bounds; this is for you. Happy Birthday, Mom!** _Hiccup clicked the start button as the music began with just a piano; then other instruments joined in. On the screen the first picture shown was Valka, seventeen years ago, holding her newborn son, which was Hiccup. After that, it showed Hiccup in the NICU of the hospital, hooked up to wires, tubes, and monitors.

" _It takes a lot to know what is love. It's not the big things, but the little things that can mean enough. A lot of prayers to get me through, and there is never a day that passes by I don't think of you. You were always there for me. Pushing me and guiding me, always to succeed,"_ Hiccup started.

" _You've shown me; when I was young just how to grow. You've shown me; everything that I should know. You've shown me; just how to walk without my hands…Cause Mom you always were; the perfect fan,"_ Hiccup sang. The video was endless pictures of Hiccup's first year of life with his mom and dad, even some with Gobber, Spitelout, Frida, and a younger baby Snotlout. A younger Fishlegs, Alvin, and Termagant showed up a couple of times too. Valka was already crying, but smiling too.

" _God has been so good. Blessing me with a family, who did all they could. And I've had many years of grace. And it flatters me when I see a smile on your face. I want to thank you for what you've done. And hope I can give back to you, and be the perfect son!"_ Hiccup continued as Stoick held his wife closely.

" _You've shown me; when I was young just how to grow. You've shown me; everything that I should know. You've shown me; just how to walk without my hands…Cause Mom you always were; the perfect fan,"_ Hiccup took a breath as the music lifted. _"You've shown me how to love. You've shown me how to care. You've shown me that you will always be there. I want to thank you for that time…And I'm proud to say you're mine!"_ Hiccup sang out in a high pitch that most didn't think he could do. During that last bit, it sounded like there were others singing with him, but it was just Hiccup by himself with different levels of music meshing together.

" _You've shown me; when I was young just how to grow. You've shown me; everything that I should know. You've shown me; just how to walk without my hands…Cause Mom you always were; the perfect fan. Cause Mom you always were…Mom you always were…Mom you always were…You know you always were…Cause Mom you always were; the perfect fan,"_ the music fell to a finish as Hiccup approached his mother, kneeling before her with a smile. "I love you, Mom,"

Valka through her arms around Hiccup, hugging him tightly and balling with tears. Hiccup stood up with her, hugging back. The video finished with a collage of pictures; just Hiccup and his mom. It was a touching video, and it showed that Hiccup put a lot of work into it. Every photo scene was something from Hiccup's life growing up the last seventeen years.

"I love you too, son. Thank you; it was beautiful, and I demand a copy!" Valka insisted.

"Already burned you a disc with the song and slideshow," Hiccup presented her with a square, wrapped gift. Valka smiled, kissing Hiccup's cheek, then the two separated with all the clapping. "And now, Dad…For you…A little something from an old memory when I was about four," Hiccup grinned. Suddenly, Stoick paled.

"Hiccup…" Stoick warned.

"It's nothing bad, I swear. I wrote something based on your raising me but how I remember it," Hiccup chuckled as he changed the video to something that had been labeled; **Dad's Gift**. Just like the one for Hiccup's mom, he prepared something for him and his father too. The music started fast-paced.

" _Driving through town; just my dad and me. With a happy meal in my booster seat; knowing that I couldn't have the toy until my nuggets were gone. A green traffic light turned straight to red; he hit the breaks and mumbled under his breath. My fries went flying, and my orange drink covered my lap. And then at four-years-old; I said a four-letter-word. It started with S and dad was concerned. So he said, son, now where'd you learn to talk like that?"_

Instantly Stoick face-palmed, but he smiled, and so did Hiccup. _"I said; I been watchin' you. Dad, ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo; I wanna be like you. And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are. We got cowboy boots and camo pants. Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we, Dad? I wanna do everything you do…Cause I been watching you,"_ Hiccup sang.

"So it was you who he learned to say that word from!" Valka pointed at her husband.

"Hey, I…It slipped!" Stoick defended himself quickly.

"Well, your son just busted you, my friend," Gobber laughed.

"Thanks, son…" Stoick said. Hiccup just winked.

" _We got back home, and Dad went to the barn; he bowed his head, and he prayed real hard. He said; Lord, please help me help my stupid self. Then that side of bedtime later that night, he turned on my Scooby-Doo nightlight. I crawled outta bed, and I got down on my knees. I closed my little eyes, closed my little hands. Spoke to God like I was talking to a friend. And my dad said; Now, son, where'd you learn to pray like that?"_ Hiccup continued as Stoick just smiled, shaking his head and smiling.

" _I said; I been watchin' you. Dad, ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo; I wanna be like you. And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are. We like fixing things and holding Mama's hands. Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we, Dad? I wanna do everything you do…Cause I been watchin' you,"_ Hiccup sang the chorus again.

" _With tears in his eyes; he wrapped me in a hug. Said his little bear is growin' up. And I said; but when I'm big, I'll still know what to do…"_ the music slowed a little. _"Cause I been watchin' you. Dad, ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo; I wanna be like you. And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are,"_ the music picked up again. _"And I'll be strong as Superman. We'll be just alike, hey, won't we, Dad. When I can do, everything you do…Cause I been watchin' you. Hey, yeah. Oh, oh…"_ Hiccup finished.

One more, the room erupted into applause and cheering. Stoick got up and hugged Hiccup tightly. "I'm proud of the man you've become, son," Stoick said.

"Thanks, Dad. I guess I had a pretty good teacher," Hiccup smiled. The hug ended as Hiccup got the projector off, the screen up, and the lights back to normal. "And with that…It's time to celebrate!" Hiccup called out as he got more music playing and set the microphone back to it's stand before going to stand with his friends. Astrid smiled a little; Hiccup was definitely a very talented man. Four songs in one night, all of which had meanings to specific moments in his life that meant a lot. So far, things were off to a good start, but the night was still young; who knew what else could take place.


	30. Never Left Your Side

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Never Left Your Side

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, February 12, 2022-6:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor-Ballroom)**_

Most of the night until dinner was people talking and enjoying the appetizers and drinks that were being served on trays by the staff of the Haddock Household. Supper was at 6 pm, and still then; everyone just continued to talk. Stoick made his way around the room, talking to different people. Sometimes Valka was at his side, other times she wasn't. Hiccup conversated with others if he needed to, but mostly; he stayed with his friends near the music setup as he was in control of it. The populars weren't far from them, but having their conversations. Astrid saw many people who had worked with her parents, and some who came out for the funeral too. Astrid played the part and talked, but she tried to keep to herself at the head table where Stoick, Valka, and Hiccup had eaten dinner. Also, Spitelout, Frida, Adelaide, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Alvin, Termagant, and Gobber were there as well. One long table for all twelve of them. Heather, Dagur, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden were at one table with their families. The same with Eret, Nadia, Gruffnut, Camicazi, and Thuggory, only they were split up among two tables. Everyone else was seated accordingly by family or coworkers.

After finishing a conversation with one person, Astrid decided to head outside for a little fresh air. Reaching the doors leading out; Astrid stepped onto the terrace and leaned on the railing with a heavy sigh, letting the February air rush by her face. Astrid took a deep breath; this was hard for her to be a part of. Astrid had been to so many, playing the part of Mayor's Daughter, but that wasn't her anymore. Hiccup had that position, and he played it well too. Of course, Astrid could tell that Hiccup didn't care about what he was now; these types of things never bothered him, but he'd act accordingly. And Astrid would admit that Hiccup cleaned up nicely with a full suit on. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax and prepare herself to go back in.

Hiccup hated things like this, and he was only doing it because this was a big night for his father and his mother's birthday. Today wasn't a day he wanted to deal with people; he would prefer to be back downstairs, alone to mourn the loss of his wife. Hiccup sighed heavily, finishing his soda and setting the cup down the second level of where his laptop was.

"You okay?" Minden asked.

"Just waiting for this to be over…" Hiccup muttered. "Watch my stuff; I'm gonna go outside for some air," he said, then turned to go out the doors that opened to the terrace. To his surprise, he saw Astrid out there, leaning on the railing and looking out to the night around them. "You needed to get away too?"

Astrid quickly looked over but didn't alter her position. "Yeah, kind of warm in there," Astrid said.

"I hear ya. Parties like these aren't my thing," Hiccup stated, also leaning over the railing with his arms on the railing.

"You look like you're not enjoying yourself," Astrid mentioned.

"Little hard to after earlier," Hiccup shrugged. Astrid looked forward again. "Sometimes you just want to be alone to think or remember,"

"I know the feeling," Astrid admitted as Hiccup glanced over. "I've been to so many of these celebrations for Mayorship when it was my dad…To be at one now, and it's not him. I don't know; it's different, painful to here as the guest of honor," she sighed.

"I can imagine something like this isn't easy for you," Hiccup said, folding his hands in front of him, but still leaning on the railing. "You're still mourning, trying to adjust to life without them. A lot of things will hurt to take part in," Hiccup looked down a little. "I know how it goes without Olivia, trying to take care of Runa, finish High School, working…Just trying to make it through every day," he added.

"Your dad mentioned earlier that she got sick before she learned she was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby regardless, that she wanted everything to be normal until she passed. I'm sorry if I ever made things harder by giving you a difficult time when you were going through all that," Astrid stated sincerely.

"Hardly mattered what you and the others were doing; I had my mind on bigger things, which is why I just ignored a lot of it," Hiccup informed.

"But you couldn't after she passed away," Astrid mentioned. "When Eret and the others were saying all those things; you snapped. And I understand what you meant now when I started living here; that you wouldn't let them talk about situations they didn't understand…I don't think they'll say anything anymore; we saw you downstairs earlier,"

Hiccup didn't look at her; he closed his eyes sadly. "I know…" he finally said. There was silence between them now. "It was cancer," Hiccup stated as Astrid looked over a little surprised. "Olivia was diagnosed with it a month before we learned she was pregnant with Runa. We were told that if she terminated the pregnancy, and started on the medications right away; then there was a chance to save her life. But if she continued through the pregnancy, cancer would only kill her faster. Olivia decided to have Runa, to give her life instead of ending it on only the chance Liv could be saved," he explained softly but never looking at Astrid.

"Olivia wanted me to keep Runa as the piece of her after she died. Liv didn't want cancer to be something that changed her life, so she made me promise to keep things normal. Never talking about it, having a relationship, pregnancy, and we make love as if nothing had changed. Liv wore makeup to hide how sick she was. Runa was born last June, and Olivia started getting worse; it was too late for the medications to stop anything because cancer had reached the terminal stage. We were told she didn't have long left, probably a year. If she'd made it that long; she would have likely gone about the time of Runa's first birthday, my graduation…" Hiccup continued.

"Whose idea was it to get married?" Astrid decided to ask.

"Liv's. She told me she wanted to get married as soon as we turned eighteen because there was so much she still desired out of life, but wouldn't have time to do it all. Olivia said she could die happy as long as we managed to do that one thing…And I promised her we would marry," Hiccup was trying hard not to cry again. "I got the ring and was going to ask her on Thanksgiving…Then I got that call that something happened, and I needed to get to the hospital right away because this was it; Liv likely wasn't going to make it to the next day. I rushed home, got the ring, then to the hospital…And well, you saw how all that went…"

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Hiccup. Truly, I am…" Astrid said sympathetically.

"Thanks. I'm just taking it one day at a time. Some days are harder than others, but I manage…I've got my friends, family, and Roo…" Hiccup said gently.

"I wish I could say I had the same, but I'm by myself in the support department," Astrid half-chuckled. "I guess that's what I get for being as cruel to people as I did before everything happened. Karma kicked me right in the ass; just like you said it would," Hiccup looked at her, recalling what he said. "I've lost everything. My parents, my home, my car, the people I thought were my friends…You saw; I ended up on the streets,"

Hiccup laughed a little as Astrid looked at him, shocked he would laugh at her words. "Gods…You still don't see it, do you?"

"I'm sorry?" Astrid said, unsure of what else she could speak at the moment. Hiccup turned to face her more.

"You didn't lose anything, Astrid; it got taken from you, unfairly. Your parents died in a house fire that was set intentionally. Okay someone or several people wanted them gone, and had you been home; it would have been you too," Hiccup said as Astrid looked at him slowly now. "You keep saying that you lost everything, but you didn't. Your parents and home got taken. You didn't lose the people who were your friends because they never were. Those jerks were friends with what you had; your money, the popularity of being the Mayor's Daughter. They loved what you could give them, what you could do for them. But they were never in your life for you, and as soon as they realized you couldn't do whatever it was you used to do, everything ended,"

"Yeah, just like you said in October…" Astrid looked away sadly. "As soon as something changes, and you're no longer one of them; they'd throw you aside,"

"But let me ask you this, Astrid; why is it a bad thing?" Hiccup inquired. "Why would you be upset about those seven ditched you when they were never your friends in the first place? If it were me; I'd be relieved that this situation showed me the truth. As I _did_ say in October; at the end of the day; I know who my real friends are. And with all this, now you know who yours are,"

Astrid didn't understand. "Hiccup, I-I don't have any friends. I have nothing,"

"You have the clothes on your back," Hiccup stated as Astrid looked at him quickly again. "You have a roof over your head. Food in your stomach. A warm bed to sleep in at night. You have a paying job. And you do have friends," Astrid's eyes widened. "Snotlout, Heather, Fishlegs, Adelaide, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Dagur…Your coworkers. You even have me,"

"I'm pretty sure you hate me," Astrid looked down. "And them too,"

"They don't hate you, Astrid; they know you were being used for what you had. We all did. All of them were hurt that you abandoned us, so they are scared that this, a second time, won't last. That's why I took the chance to say something in October about the matter. And that's why I reminded you at Archia Burger to remember what I said," Astrid looked at him slightly now.

"So you knew they would abandon me…You knew it was all for show…" Astrid sighed. "You've been trying to help me all this time, and I threw it in your face…You should hate me,"

"If I hated you, would I have helped you when your friends left you that bill at Archia Burger? Would I have given you my manager meal? Would I have checked on you after the others abandoned you? Would I have challenged those idiots to work for two hours?" Astrid's eyes widened more. Hiccup did that for her? "I snuck into the girl's locker room after leaving you at the nurse and set their bags on the wet shower floors to ruin their uniforms, and I set up the wet seat thing because I saw how they were treating you…And I couldn't stand it. Astrid, I don't hate you. Sure; it wasn't great how you've treated me over the years because we used to be best friends, but I don't hate you," Hiccup informed.

"You keep saying that…" Astrid looked at him.

"We were. Astrid, before your dad was elected Mayor…We were best friends. You and I were inseparable. Snot, Adelaide, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, Heather…They all remember it, and so do I," Hiccup stated, pulling a picture from his wallet and showing Astrid. It was of her with him, their arms over each other's shoulders, smiling broadly with their heads together. "That was us in fifth-grade before you started changing. You met Camicazi, Ragna, and Thuggory; started hanging out with them and blowing me and the others off. We still talked and hung a bit, but Freshman Year when you met Eret; you were gone, Ast. Everything about being popular and well-known went to your head, and you stopped being the friend you used to be,"

Astrid couldn't believe it. "I've been holding on to that, hoping one day to get the chance to show you the girl you once were. Then pray you'd be here again. I've never hated you, Astrid. I was upset you changed and abandoned us like Eret and the others did to you. You said that you had new friends, and couldn't hang with losers anymore because we weren't like you, and had nothing in common with us," Hiccup continued to say. "I've been watching over you for years since you changed because I knew one day, you'd need help. Someone to offer a kind hand, to pick you up. It's why I made sure at least one of my friends is in every one of your classes," Astrid's eyes widened once more. "Why my friends and I always sat close to the table you and the others were at," he kept on going. "Astrid I have always been here; you've never lost me. Just because you walked away didn't mean I stopped caring and wanting to ensure you were alright,"

"You said you were disgusted and ashamed ever to call me your best friend," Astrid looked down some.

"That was just a really bad day, Ast. I'd just lost Olivia a few days before, and hearing those asses talk about her that way…I snapped and took my anger out on all of you. I got pissed you couldn't remember our friendship. I was hurt about losing Olivia. It was just everything piling up and unable to cope with all the emotions I felt. I didn't mean what I said to you, so I am sorry for saying it. But I suppose I did hope it might get you to wonder what I meant about being friends. I wanted you to remember that you do have true friends in your life. That's why I asked you in October if you knew who yours were; I hope you realize now who they are. We only want to help, but you gotta open up and let us," Hiccup said, holding up a group photo of all of them. "This can happen again; you can be this girl. You don't have to go through this by yourself,"

Astrid looked at the photo, and she could see how happy she was. Genuinely happy to be with them. "I'd like that, being happy again…I just feel like I can't, Hiccup. With all this going on…Everything that's happened," she closed her eyes sadly.

"Astrid, listen to me," Hiccup said as Astrid looked at him. "You have air in your lungs, blood pumping through your veins, and a beating heart. Astrid, you have a life. Your life. I know it hurts that your parents are gone, but life is unfair, and no one said it was easy. Things out of our control happen, and all we can do is keep going. Your parents were taken, so was your home and car. But what did that force you to do?"

"Get a job to take care of myself," Astrid replied.

"Right, and know you've learned life skills that you need to survive. Something I asked you about in that blizzard. Okay, you lost the people you thought were your friends. But who has come forward to help you in your time of need?"

"You and the others," Astrid said.

"Because we're your real friends, the people who do care about you instead of what you have and can do. Astrid, you survived something that was meant to kill you and your family. You're still alive and have continued to push through all the bad things that keep happening one after the others. And do you know why?" Hiccup asked as Astrid shook her head. "You're a fighter, and sometimes the one only way to find out how strong you are is to get knocked all the way to the bottom. After that; there's only one way left to go; up," Astrid felt like she was about to cry.

"Thank you, Hiccup; I needed to hear that," Astrid choked up a little.

"Hiccup! Get in here!" Gobber said from the middle door.

"Come on," Hiccup smiled. "Shall we face the rest of the evening together, as I am your assigned escort for the night?" Astrid nodded as the two of them got off the railing and walked back to the Ballroom.

"Where did you go?" Stoick asked.

"Outside for some fresh air, Mr. Haddock. Hiccup came with me as you said he wasn't supposed to leave my side tonight," Astrid told Stoick so Stoick would think it was her fault Hiccup left the room.

"Ah. Good work then, son. Your mother wants a few pictures of you dancing with Astrid as you are her escort for the evening. Just one song, that's she asks, please?" Stoick pleaded.

"Why me and Astrid?" Hiccup blinked.

"Because of some memory thing from years ago. When Colden was elected Mayor in the fifth-grade, you two danced together, then every year until eighth grade. Val wants to see it again since you didn't do it after 2014 now that I'm the Mayor. So will you two do it? Please?" Stoick inquired.

"One dance won't hurt us I guess, if you're up for it, Astrid?" Hiccup looked at her.

"I'd be honored to repeat something we did like the friends we are," Astrid smiled. Hiccup did too.

"And if you can get the song from back then, she'd appreciate it," Stoick added, then headed off, nodding to his wife.

"What song did we dance the first time?" Astrid wondered.

"Pretty sure it was Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical," Hiccup stated.

"Isn't that…A lovers song?" Astrid looked at him.

"We don't have to; I'm sure we had no idea what we were doing at eleven except being pre-teens," Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, it's your Mom's birthday; I think we can humor her for one dance," Astrid giggled a little.

"I'll get it ready," Hiccup moved to his laptop to find the song. After preparing it; he pressed play and turned things up. Hiccup and Astrid met one another in the middle of the floor, smiling.

Astrid put her hand out. _"Take my hand,"_ Hiccup pulled his hands from his pockets, setting his left hand in her extended right one. Everyone began to quiet down, watching the scene that was beginning on the dance floor. _"Take a breath,"_ Astrid sang as Hiccup took one, then looked at her again. Valka instantly squealed, setting her phone to record the moment. _"Pull me close,"_ Hiccup pulled her towards his figure now. _"And take one step,"_ Astrid stepped back as Hiccup matched it by moving forward. _"Keep your eyes, locked on mine,"_ Astrid gently touched his cheek, running her fingers through his side hair. Hiccup looked into her eyes as told as their bodies moved into a dancing position. _"And let the music be your guide,"_ Astrid continued as they began moving together.

" _Won't you promise me,"_ Hiccup started.

" _Now, won't you promise me; that you'll never forget,"_ Astrid sang.

" _We'll keep dancing,"_ Hiccup continued.

" _To keep dancing…"_ Astrid smiled.

" _Wherever we go next!"_ Hiccup and Astrid sang together. _"It's like catching lightning; the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million; the chances of feeling the way we do. And with every step together, we just keep on getting better,"_ the two were doing all the moves, on queue, right from the movie.

" _So can I have this dance?"_ Astrid rested her hands on his shoulders.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ Hiccup placed his hands on her hips as they swayed slowly in rhythm.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ they sang together as Hiccup picked Astrid up bridal-style, twirling her a few times, then set her down and they separated a moment.

" _Take my hand,"_ Hiccup instructed as Astrid did so. _"I'll take the lead,"_ he pulled her close as they swayed a little more. _"And every turn will be safe with me. Don't be afraid. Afraid to fall. You know I'll catch you through it all,"_ Hiccup span her once, then dipped Astrid low in a swoop but brought her back up in the same fluid motion. _"And you can't keep us apart,"_

" _Even a thousand miles can't keep us apart,"_ Astrid sang afterward.

" _Cause my heart is,"_ Hiccup jumped in.

" _Cause my heart is…"_ Astrid repeated.

" _Wherever you are. It's like catching lightning; the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million; the chances of feeling the way we do. And with every step together, we just keep on getting better,"_ Hiccup and Astrid continued together, never faltering in their dance.

" _So can I have this dance?"_ Astrid smiled.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ Hiccup repeated to her.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ the said together.

" _Oh, oh! No mountains too high and no-,"_ Astrid started, but Hiccup picked up on the same lyric.

" _Oceans too wide. Cause together or not, our dance won't stop. Let it rain. Let it pour. What we have is worth fighting for. You know I believe; you and I were meant to be!"_ Hiccup span Astrid around, then they started again. _"It's like catching lightning; the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million; the chances of feeling the way we do. And with every step together, we just keep on getting better,"_

" _So can I have this dance?"_ Astrid asked, singing.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ Hiccup replied, also still in tune.

" _Can I have this dance?"_ the span together. _"Can I have this dance?"_ Now, it was a very slow twirl. Hiccup's hand was on her waist as Astrid's hand was on the back of Hiccup's head. _"Can I have this dance?"_ they faced one another, Astrid's hand falling to Hiccup's shoulder as their foreheads touched lightly, both smiling and panting a little. The song ended as Astrid hugged Hiccup tightly, and he returned it. Hiccup held Astrid's hand as they faced the crowd, and took a bow together. There was clapping and cheering for the display of dancing by Hiccup and Astrid, but neither of the two cared because that moment between them brought it all back; it was just like old times when they were best friends. And Astrid knew for sure now that Hiccup had never left her side.


	31. Ammunition

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Ammunition

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, February 12, 2022-8:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor-Ballroom)**_

I finally understood why Hiccup said what he did that day in November when Eret and the others were giving him a hard time and saying all those mean things. Hiccup and I were best friends when we were younger, and then my father got elected Mayor of Archia Isle. I started hanging out with a crowd of people who had what I did; money and status. I was such an idiot. How could I have forgotten about my real friends? Everything made so much sense to me now. Hiccup said all the things he did in October because he knew the people I was hanging around weren't my real friends. He made those comments in hopes I would remember the people in my life before my dad got elected as the Mayor. Hiccup had been right the entire time; as soon as Eret and the others realized I wasn't like them, they threw me aside. Hearing what Hiccup told me tonight when we were on the balcony; everything just became understandable. I learned so much, but the biggest was seeing that Hiccup never left my side; he's always been around in the shadows to make sure I'm alright. And by the Gods, Hiccup has been through a lot, but I was still on his mind.

It broke my heart to see Hiccup upset and cry earlier tonight in the basement when he was watching those videos. And it hurt a lot to listen when Hiccup told me what happened with Olivia; that she died from cancer, something she might have survived if she chose to terminate her pregnancy. Olivia chose to carry Runa, and give that little girl life rather than save her own. I discovered that Hiccup did get married to Olivia in the hospital because it was something Olivia had wanted; to experience everything she was able to in life before she passed away, and act as if cancer hadn't changed anything. Hiccup is a fantastic guy; he's rich, owns a Night Fury, has a mansion, incredible friend, son, nephew, cousin, father, and husband. And with all Hiccup has; he's still humble, kind, understanding, helpful, sympathetic, and compassionate. It's still shocking to me that Hiccup wants to join the Army; I didn't take him for someone who wanted that kind of life, but I respected and admired his desires. Right now; the party is still going. Hiccup is by his computer managing the music, but his friends are standing around to talk with him. Eret and the other five popular jerks are standing in their group with drinks and watching everything around.

Valka was at her husband's side, and the guests were making conversation with one another. I was standing by myself with a drink cup in my hand and observing. I couldn't get over the dance Hiccup, and I had; it had been years, but we pulled it off as though we'd practiced it daily.

"Hiccup," I heard Stoick say as he went over to his son.

"Yeah, Dad?" Hiccup replied.

"Your mother says that if you perform one more song; you and your friends can leave the party to start your sleepover," Stoick informed.

"Cool. Any song, or is she requesting one?" Hiccup wondered.

"Val! Hiccup wants to know if you have a song in mind or is he picking?" Stoick called to his wife.

"I have one, but I don't if he'll do it," Valka stated while walking over.

"That depends on the song," Hiccup remarked.

"Well, as it's become a continuing problem…And your father is going to be addressing it as one of his projects; I was hoping you might do your Anti-Bullying song?" Valka asked. I blinked a few times; Hiccup wrote a song about bullying?

"I don't know, Mom. That song is kind'a just for me…" Hiccup sighed.

"I know, Hiccup, but others need to see what bullying does. And your song describes a lot of what you and others deal with as victims," Stoick reminded. "It would help open some eyes. We could spread the message, perhaps get it to stop. But the only way to show people is by one of those victims standing up and saying something about how they feel," he added.

Giving in, I saw Hiccup sigh again. "Fine,"

"Thank you, son," Valka hugged him.

"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup muttered as Stoick and Valka walked away. Hiccup stopped what was playing, then found what he was looking for and hit play. Hiccup moved out from behind where his computer was and held the microphone. The music started easy with a guitar strumming. _"He walks to school. Nobody notices; he hides the bruises underneath his clothes. His mom don't ask, and he won't tell. All his friends, don't know him oh so well,"_ I couldn't believe how powerful this was and I hadn't even heard the whole song yet. The room was quiet other than the music and Hiccup's singing.

I knew Hiccup was bullied a lot for his small size, and name. In Viking Culture, which we all derived from; _Hiccup_ was the name given to the runt of the litter. Hiccup was born two months early and spent a lot of time in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit until he gained enough weight and strength to be able to go home with Valka and Stoick. Hiccup has a very slim figure and appears to have no muscle, but that's far from the truth because I saw him wrestle a Monstrous Nightmare, which is a five-thousand-pound dragon, and I saw Hiccup knock Eret, a two-hundred and ten-pound male-mostly muscle for that weight, to the floor with one punch. Hiccup took a lot of abuse, and I wondered if he wrote this because of it all.

" _Nobody knows that he's breaking. Nobody knows where he's been. Everybody says that he's broken, but I think he's just bent. Oh, dare to be different,"_ Hiccup continued softly. The music picked up a bit. _"He walks to class, with the hoodie on; behind the mask that he's worn so long. The teacher don't hear, all the rumors spread. Or the notebook saying how I wish I was dead,"_ I felt my heart skip a beat at that. Did Hiccup feel like dying at one time because of all the bullying he endured? This song was written from personal experience, what else could I believe besides that?

" _Who will care that he's breaking? Who will care where he's been? Everybody says that he's broken, but I think he's just bent. Oh, dare to be different,"_ All I did was watch Hiccup sing, and it hurt me to see the pain behind his green eyes. _"Who wrote the book on what is right? What makes me so wrong? I know my time here will be well spent, cause I dare…Yeah, I dare…I dare to be different,"_

" _Just another day, with the damage done. You never know how your words can cut someone. Look into their eyes, and maybe you will see; that everyone is how they're meant to be. It's time for us to care that they're breaking. It's time for us to care where they've been. You might say that we're broken, But I think we're all a little bent. Ooh. Dare to be different. Ooh, dare to be different,"_ It was quiet after the song ended, but then clapping. I think everyone was just taken slightly off guard by the song, which was the reason for the pause in reaction after Hiccup finished. _**(Song; Dare To Be Different by Rachel Lynn. I did change a bit of it to fit Hiccup writing it for his experiences with bullying.)**_

"Well done, son," Valka smiled.

I couldn't help but notice how bothered Hiccup looked after he sang. I felt like he hadn't wanted to sing that one, but didn't want to upset his parents either. "Yeah, no problem. Can I go now?" Hiccup asked. Stoick nodded as Hiccup took off his suit jacket and tie, handing them to Snotlout. "I'll be back in ten to meet you downstairs," Hiccup said.

"No problem," Dagur stated. "We'll take care of all this; you go and clear your head," Hiccup gave a smile of thanks, then headed out of the Ballroom doors to the terrace.

Hiccup gave a whistle with his fingers to the corners of his mouth. "TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup called afterward. Second later, Toothless hurried out of the stable and jumped on the terrace. Hiccup threw his leg over the saddle, positioned his feet, then opened the tail up. "Sky, bud!" he rubbed the top of Toothless's head. The Night Fury crooned in response to his rider, then launched into the sky; the two were quickly out of sight in the night sky.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{9:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Basement of Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup returned not long after leaving, and one of the first things he did was go to his room to grab a quick shower, then change out of the suit and into something comfortable. Afterward, Hiccup went downstairs to find his friends, Astrid, and the populars down there relaxing and watching TV.

"Hey, there you are," Heather smiled.

"Surprised you're not gaming yet," Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, we kind'a need you for that," Tuffnut reminded. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he opened the panel and scanned his hand to activate the Gamer's Paradise part of the basement.

"There you go, guys," Hiccup closed the door as he went behind the bar to grab a soda from the fridge, then he plopped on the couch to relax. Hiccup watched his friends pick something to play, and he sat there with his eyes closed.

"Hic, you playing?" Snotlout asked.

"Nah, go ahead," Hiccup smiled.

"Come on; you love this game," Dagur said.

"It's a four-player game," Fishlegs tried.

"And you have four people, so go on," Hiccup invited.

"Eh, this isn't one of my favorites; I'm not good at it," Fishlegs handed Hiccup the controller. Hiccup sighed as he sat up and set his soda in the cupholder. The game was Super Smash Bros, and Hiccup picked his Mii for the character, and then he popped his headphones into his ears while turning on his music from the phones. The match started as those in basement watched closely while Snotlout, Tuffnut, Dagur, and Hiccup faced off against one another. Minutes passed as Hiccup eventually sat back on the couch, one leg up and the other dangling much like earlier in the night when the teens found Hiccup downstairs watching videos. Hiccup looked relaxed, taking sips of his drink when he got a few seconds to do so.

"He's pretty good," Ruffnut chuckled.

"Hiccup is the reigning champ out of our friends who play," Minden giggled.

"He doesn't look like he's all into it," Astrid pointed out.

"That's how he plays this game. Music to block out any distractions, and relaxed," Heather informed. Another minute passed as Snotlout and Dagur were out of the match, then Hiccup did a ten-hit combo and final attack on Tuffnut to finish him off. Hiccup was declared the winner as he set the controller down.

"That's game, boys," Hiccup remarked as he pulled one of his headphones out.

"I don't know why we bother playing this against him; we never win," Snotlout muttered.

"I'm starting to think you like the ass-kicking," Hiccup laughed a little.

"Shut up, Hiccup," Snotlout mumbled, defeated.

"Another round?" Dagur asked. Before anyone could answer, the Skype ringtone was heard going off. Hiccup turned one of the TV's on, then brought up Skype where a call was coming in from; **Work**.

"Oh, come on guys…It's my night off," Hiccup sighed as he answered it. "You better have had a good reason to call me on my night off, Colden," Hiccup said.

" _Johann has vanished from work, we're getting slammed, and we need a manager, like now,"_ Colden informed quickly.

"What do you mean Johann vanished?" Hiccup asked.

" _He took a phone call, then left without reason. Can you come, please?"_ Colden begged.

Hiccup got up. "I'm on my way. Give me five minutes," Hiccup said.

" _You can get here from Berk that fast?"_ Mikkel blinked.

"Uh, owner of a Night Fury…" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "See you soon; just do the best you can for now," after a nod, the call ended.

"Hiccup, do you need any help?" Astrid asked quickly.

"No, I'll be fine, Astrid. Thanks, though. I'll be home later guys," Hiccup vanished into the elevator after the doors opened.

"What now?" Gruffnut asked. Everyone looked at one another, unsure of how to spend their time with Hiccup gone. It was to play more games or talk.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:15 pm}**_

Due to reasons the teenagers would likely never understand; it got decided by the parents of them that they were all staying at Haddock Manor for the night. The kids had their suspicions that it's because the adults were drunk and couldn't drive home. Hiccup was still at work, and the others sat around gaming or chatting among themselves. Finally, Hiccup came downstairs; still in his work uniform looking anything but relieved and happy to be back.

"Bad night?" Minden asked. Hiccup didn't say anything as he kicked off his shoes, and tossed the hat carelessly.

"I don't even want to talk about it," Hiccup mumbled as he took off the belt and added that to the pile where his hat landed. Hiccup unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, leaving him with just a t-shirt underneath. Hiccup moved to his room downstairs and changed the rest of the way to something comfortable. Hiccup returned and dropped on the couch tiredly.

"Ever find out why Johann bailed?" Astrid wondered.

"Nope, he isn't picking up my calls. The next time I hear from him; he'll be lucky if he has a job…" Hiccup sighed with his eyes closed.

"Isn't Johann higher on the corporate ladder?" Astrid blinked. "How do you make that call if he keeps his job or not?"

"Because I've been there longer than he has, and would be the lead manager above him if I were eighteen already. I told you, aside from a few legal matters holding me back; I run that place. I do the schedule, the food order, inventory, time edits, everything. Johann only started working there about a year ago, and Johann is a manager. As soon as March hits; I become the big boss as General Manager. And then Johann works under me. The main office would take my word over his, and if I file a complaint; he's done if I say he's not able to do his job duties," Hiccup explained.

"Oh," Astrid nodded understanding.

"Leaving in the middle of a shift with no reason and refusing to answer calls is a fireable offense. There are only three people hired who can lead the shifts through the week. Johann, Henrik, and myself. I do closings Monday through Friday. Johann opens Monday through Wednesday and closes Saturday and Sunday. Henrik opens Thursday to Sunday. If there is no one there, the other employees can't do anything that needs manager approval or overrides," Hiccup stated.

"Makes sense. You look exhausted," Heather informed.

"It's been a long day," Hiccup replied. "And on a completely unrelated note, why are all of you still here?" he asked.

"Gobber came downstairs a little while ago and said that we're all staying here tonight," Snotlout said. Hiccup's eyes widened.

"For what friggin reason?" Hiccup demanded.

"If I had to take a guess…The adults are too drunk to drive," Dagur stated.

"What the-Oh my Gods. They all have their licenses! Why can't they drive home?!" Hiccup grumbled. Oh, this was not his night.

"No idea, cuz," Snotlout shrugged.

"Ugh, once again…I have to put out for a bunch of assholes," Hiccup sighed as he got up and walked off. Fifteen minutes later, Hiccup returned with sleeping bags and pillows.

"Can't we just use your room again?" Thuggory asked.

"No. I was nice to you fuckers once, and you threw it in my face the next available chance you got. And if I recall; it ended with Eret getting punched. This time; you're all on the floor," Hiccup scoffed as he tossed the objects at them carelessly.

"And what about her?" Ragna motioned to Astrid.

"She was part of that day too," Gruffnut reminded.

"Astrid has since apologized to me, and also that day; told you to stop while you were ahead," Hiccup stated coldly.

"We sleeping in our usual spots?" Ruffnut asked.

"Where you'd like, guys," Hiccup told them.

"What about me?" Astrid inquired nervously.

"I'll be out here to keep an eye on them, but you're welcome to use my spare room down here. Or if you want; go up to yours on the second level," Hiccup responded to her gently.

"Stay down here with us, Astrid," Heather invited.

"Yeah, we all camp out in Hiccup's room down here," Minden added. Astrid smiled a little; this was a nice feeling.

"Okay, I will. I'm just gonna go change first," Astrid replied.

"We'll come too. Our stuff is upstairs," Ruffnut smiled. The four girls exited the basement, leaving only the boys now. Hiccup's couch was a sectional, with two long pieces on the ends and in the middle. Tuffnut, Dagur, and Snotlout snatched those up quick while Fishlegs picked the smaller couch, and Hiccup took the recliner chair.

"So, Astrid is living here?" Camicazi asked.

"You have a problem with that?" Hiccup retorted. Little did he know that Astrid was coming down the stairs last after the girls entered to join the rest. Astrid stopped, listening in closely to what Hiccup would tell them as to why she was there.

"Why?" Eret asked.

"If you recall months ago in this very basement; I asked you if you knew who your real friends were, and you claimed that if one of you ended up with nothing; you wouldn't toss them aside. Well, what did you do to Astrid when something changed? You threw her aside in a heartbeat; exactly as I said you would because I know how you douchebags operate, and that's why I refuse to be part of it. So thank you for proving my words to be correct. Why is Astrid living here? Because her real friends stepped up to help," Hiccup said harshly, taking Astrid by surprise.

"But you said-," Nadia began.

"You were taunting me when my wife had just passed away! I told you to stop and you wouldn't, so for once, I let my anger get the better of me, and I decided to retaliate. I know what I said that day, and I admitted to Astrid that it was said in frustration and mourning over the situation; I apologized to her and only her for what I said. And she said she was sorry to me. I forgave her. Astrid was my friend long before she was yours, and you might have gotten in her head, and took her away from me once, but she remembers everything now that you jerks are out of her life. Astrid remembers who her real friends are, and when friends are in trouble; they help one another out. Astrid needed a place to go, and I have more than enough room here," Hiccup huffed. "Now not another word. Shut up and go to sleep," he added.

Astrid smiled a little as she made her way down the stairs all the way now and followed the girls into Hiccup's extra room in the basement. "Night all," Dagur called. After that, the lights were turned off, and everyone was quiet. Astrid was probably last to fall asleep around 12:45 am because she was worried about one thing; her ex-boyfriend and former friends knew where she was living, and they had all the ammunition they needed to give her an awful time at school. Honestly, she couldn't wait to graduate and hopefully never have to see them again.


	32. Not The First Time

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Not The First Time

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Sunday, February 13, 2022-7:30 am}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor; Basement)**_

Hiccup hated sharing his space with Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Gruffnut, Ragna, and Thuggory. After the event last night, Hiccup just wanted to spend some time with his friends like they did almost every weekend unless something else prevented them from doing so. Unfortunately, because the adults decided to drink too much after Hiccup got called away to work a few hours; most of the adults were staying at Haddock Manor for the night. Hiccup returned home tired, and learning that the six populars he couldn't stand were staying the night; he just wanted to go to bed. However, Hiccup took his chance to shove it in the populars' faces that he was right about them throwing someone aside. In this case; it was Astrid who needed help, and those jerks got rid of her. Hiccup was glad Astrid had been able to see that he was never trying to hurt her; Hiccup only wanted her to see and understand what he was saying. All of it was to protect her from something like what took place happening. Hiccup was happy to see Heather, Ruffnut, and Minden making Astrid feel more welcome into the group of friends. Hiccup hoped that with this; things could go back to how they used to be.

The night was quiet after Hiccup shut the lights off, and everyone nodded off to sleep within half an hour. For Hiccup, though; he couldn't seem to knock out no matter what he did. Hiccup tried shifting around, water, staring at his phone for a bit, but he couldn't fall asleep. Hiccup's headache got worse at 3:10 am, then his stomach started to hurt around 4:30 am. As the night continued, Hiccup began feeling a little feverish when the clock hit 5:45 am. At 7 am, Hiccup developed a migraine, but Hiccup managed to fall asleep. Now, a half hour later, the others were starting to wake up.

"Morning," Heather said as she came out with Ruffnut, Minden, and Astrid.

"Hey, sis," Dagur greeted.

"Sleep well, girls?" Fishlegs asked.

"Always," Minden replied.

"Speak for yourselves," Thuggory got up, cracking his back in the process.

"At least Hiccup was nice enough to provide sleeping bags and pillows," Ruffnut rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, stop complaining," Snotlout remarked.

"Morning Hic-," Astrid started but noticed Hiccup was still knocked out in the recliner. "He's still out?" she looked to his friends.

"Weird…Isn't Hiccup usually the first one up?" Tuffnut stated.

"Yeah," Heather nodded. Dagur moved to the recliner and tapped Hiccup's shoulder a few times, but Hiccup stayed asleep.

"Hiccup. Hey, time to wake up, brother," Dagur shook Hiccup a little harder this time. Hiccup groaned a little, finally turning over and putting a hand on his head, then opening his eyes a little.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Dude, it's 7:30 am. What are you still doing sleeping?" Snotlout asked.

"Maybe because I didn't fall asleep until 7 am…" Hiccup remarked.

"Why not?" Ruffnut asked. Hiccup adjusted in the chair, then put the leg-rest down as he tossed off the blanket to get up. Of course, this task wasn't so easy as Hiccup had trouble finding his strength to complete the action.

"Legs asleep?" Eret chuckled a little. Hiccup ignored it as he tried again, but couldn't with how much his head was bothering him. On top of that; he was beginning to feel nauseated too. Hiccup bent over, holding his head.

"Cuz, you okay?" Snotlout asked. Hiccup shook his head slowly.

"Isn't that the position Hiccup goes into when he has a migraine?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh, shit; you're right," Dagur added. "When did it start?"

"Half an hour an hour ago, right before I fell asleep. I was up all night not feeling well," Hiccup admitted.

"All this over a headache?" Gruffnut laughed.

"A migraine is not the same as a headache, Gruffnut. Migraines are much more intense with worse symptoms," Heather rolled her eyes.

"It feels like someone took a bat to your head and neck, or working through a really bad hangover," Minden added.

"Hiccup is prone to migraines; he's had them since he was about thirteen, and they come on at random. They can last from a few hours to a few days. How bad is it, Hiccup?" Dagur put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder gently. Hiccup didn't answer right away; he was rubbing the sides of his head and neck.

"Ugh…" Hiccup moaned as his body jerked a little.

"Where's your migraine medicine?" Fishlegs asked.

"My room, master bath…Left side of counter," Hiccup managed.

"I'll grab it," Heather announced, then rushed off quickly. Hiccup jerked again, breathing hard.

"He's gonna throw up," Tuffnut stated. Seconds afterward, Hiccup was up and rushing down the hall past his spare room, then around the corner into the bathroom that sat right before the home theater. The door slammed shut and then the sound of Hiccup vomiting was heard.

"Are you sure he's not just sick?" Astrid asked.

Dagur shook his head. "It's possible. But when Hiccup gets migraines; it's pretty bad. Sensitivity to light, sound, even some smells. He gets nauseous and ends up puking. He has meds for it, but sometimes they don't help a lot if he's already in the worst of everything," Hiccup stayed in the bathroom five minutes and threw up a total of three times including the first. Heather returned downstairs, Valka and Stoick with her.

"Where is he?" Stoick asked.

"Bathroom still," Fishlegs said. Valka went to the door, knocking on it with her knuckle.

"Son? It's mom. Are you okay?" Valka asked.

"Ssh…" was Hiccup's response.

"Can't deal with loud sounds, vomiting, and I don't see the light on in there, so it could be too late for pills," Stoick informed.

"You can come in," Hiccup said. Valka opened the door to see Hiccup sitting on the floor.

"We should get you upstairs to rest, Hiccup," Stoick offered as he moved inside to help Hiccup get to his feet.

"I might have something that can help…" Astrid offered.

"I'll try anything to relieve some of this," Hiccup said.

"Sit on the floor, and take your socks off," Astrid smiled a little, then she headed out of the room as Hiccup did what she said while confused. Astrid returned minutes later with a bowl of water and a bag of frozen vegetables under her arm. Astrid knelt down, and set Hiccup's feet in the water, which he discovered was between hot and warm; a comfortable temperature. "Here, bend forward and put your forehead on your knees," she instructed as Hiccup did so. Astrid put the frozen bag at the base of his neck and held it there. "There, now just close your eyes and try to relax for like ten minutes,"

"And we'll be quiet," Heather said as everyone just kind of sat back and remained quiet, seeing if Astrid's method would work. The entire ten minutes, Hiccup's head remained down, eyes closed, and trying to stay relaxed. Shockingly, Hiccup noticed that the pressure in his head was lightening up a bit; his head didn't hurt as much as before.

"How do you feel, son?" Stoick asked calmly.

"Tired, nauseous, can deal with low volume, and dim lights. A lot of pressure is off though; it's a little better," Hiccup admitted softly. "How'd you know what to do?"

"My…Mom used to get a lot of stress migraines, and that's one of the things she did. I wasn't sure if your was stress or not, but worth a try," Astrid informed.

"You should probably take one of your pills, Hiccup; then black out your room and get some more rest," Fishlegs offered. Hiccup removed the frozen bag, then sat up slowly; he looked miserable and sick. Dagur put out his hand to help him up carefully. Hiccup took it as Dagur pulled Hiccup to his feet; then Valka handed Hiccup one of the pills, which Hiccup took with some water. After that, Dagur helped Hiccup to the elevator. The doors closed, and those two were gone.

"Thank you, Astrid," Stoick said.

"It's the least I can do after what he did for me," Astrid smiled.

"Well, let's all get upstairs for breakfast. Hiccup won't be joining us for obvious reasons," Valka said gently. After that; everyone cleaned up and got upstairs. Hiccup was in his room with the shades drawn, and fast asleep according to Dagur, who had left Hiccup there to rest. After breakfast got served, Eret, Guffnut, Nadia, Camicazi, Ragna, and Thuggory all left. As Hiccup needed to rest to get over a migraine; the others except for Astrid left shortly after. Astrid went to her room to relax and hoping that Hiccup would feel better soon, and also fearing the return to school now that the others knew she was living at Haddock Manor.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Thursday, February 17, 2022-12:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

It had been a few days since the populars found out that Astrid was living at Hiccup's house, and they had been contemplating how to make Astrid's life a living hell. Finally, they knew how to go about it. Another public humiliation in front of the lunch room. All of this started with rumors that Eret and the others began circulating the school about Astrid's living situation. And truthfully; they were starting to get to Astrid a lot because some were true, and she didn't want to own up to them for the sake of not being teased anymore. It began on Monday during class changes that Astrid would hear things as she walked through the hallways.

"I heard she was living under a bridge,"

"Did you hear? Astrid was spotted entering a homeless shelter?"

"Rumor is floating around is that someone was taking showers before school hours begin. I bet I know who it is,"

"I heard she's living at Berkian Estates,"

This had been exactly what Astrid feared happening if anyone found out. Some of the things said; Astrid couldn't deny, and she knew the possibility of being seen was high. Someone could have seen her when she was living on the streets, or at the shelter. The showering at school bit wasn't untrue either, and staff of the academy suspected someone was sneaking in to shower. Astrid could only assume that they knew it was her, but not saying anything because they felt bad or whatever. However, the biggest problem now is that Astrid was living with the Haddocks, and Astrid knew that there were only six people in the entire school who knew for a fact she was staying at Haddock Manor and would use that information to make her miserable. It sucked, but what could Astrid do to stop it? It was the truth of the matter; she was living at Haddock Manor because she had been utterly homeless, taking showers at school, and living on the streets before Hiccup found her the night of the snowstorm.

Now, it was lunch hour with forty minutes to go until next period. Astrid was sitting with Hiccup, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden as usual; she had a permanent place at the table with them. Honestly, Astrid liked the feeling of being around her old friends; she felt happier because she knew it was a real friendship, and not fake like it had been with Eret and the others.

"So when do we get to start flying, Hiccup?" Minden inquired curiously.

"Well, Finals Week is May 16th through the 20th, and you'll need to know flying for that. And there is quite a bit that goes into it, so we're starting your dragon flyer training on the 1st of March," Hiccup stated.

"How long will it take us?" Camicazi leaned towards the table.

"As long as you do as your told; it shouldn't long at all. I plan to teach you all the flying you need to know until the end of April; then we'll use the remainder of the time until Finals for review on anything you're not sure on from either semester," Hiccup informed.

A couple of girls walked by, snickering as they did. "Hey, Astrid? Is it true that you're fucking Hiccup for a place to live?"

"What?!" Astrid screeched, appalled at the assumption. "No!"

"But it is true you're living with him, aren't you?" another questioned.

"W-Well, yes, but we're not-," Astrid started.

"True that you two danced to a love song last Saturday?" one inquired.

"True you two hugged?" one giggled.

"We're friends," Astrid defended quickly.

"Does he fuck you good?"

"We're not having sex!" Astrid said.

"Rumor has it that the last girl he was with said Hiccup was a God in bed,"

"Makes sense why Hiccup is single now; you drove off the other girl, didn't you?"

"Or, are you the girl who replaced Hiccup's girlfriend after she-," one began, and that's when Hiccup got decided to stay something. Clenching his fist until the knuckles turned white, he stood up. Everyone remembered what happened last time Hiccup got mad at someone mentioning Olivia, and now they worried what he would do this time when people were assuming Hiccup and Astrid were sleeping together.

"ENOUGH!" Hiccup snapped angrily, bringing the room to silence. "Just to effectively shut down any more fucking rumors, which I know were started by six people specifically…" Hiccup glared at the populars. "Yes, Astrid lives with my family and me. Yes, we are friends. No, we are not having sex with one another. And no, she didn't replace my girl. And before any other rumors mysteriously begin regarding that subject…My girl, who was, in fact, my wife, passed away from cancer in November, which is the last time I snapped because some people couldn't keep their noses out of my business! No one can replace my wife, ever! I might get over losing her, and I might move on and fall in love again one day, but that doesn't mean someone else will take her place. As for anything else involving Astrid; she has done nothing wrong, so leave her the hell alone!" he yelled.

Without another word, like the first time, Hiccup stormed out of the cafeteria and ignored the attempts of the lunchroom aids, a few teachers who would watch for trouble and step in if necessary, to have Hiccup come back into the room. Astrid felt bad; she knew it had to be hard for Hiccup to tell everyone what happened to Olivia, and he did it to shut down any more rumors starting regarding him and Astrid. After Hiccup left, the room began to resume eating and talking while Hiccup's friends and Astrid just sighed knowing that they probably wouldn't see Hiccup the rest of lunch hour.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:05 pm}**_

 _ **(Student Lot)**_

Ruffnut and Heather confirmed that Hiccup was in Science Class after lunch ended, and Hiccup was present for Dragon Training too. Astrid and the others noticed right away that Hiccup looked upset and annoyed. And who could blame him? The class went smoothly, and now it was over. Astrid and Hiccup had work tonight, so the two of them were headed to the lot to get to Archia Burger.

"Damn it; I forgot something in the stables. I'll meet you at the car," Hiccup said, then quickly turned the other direction, and ran off. Astrid continued forward on her path and saw Hiccup's Jeep in sight. However, someone ran into her, and she dropped a few things she was carrying.

"Jerk…" Astrid muttered as she knelt down to start grabbing what fell onto the pavement. Seconds later, a green van zipped around the corner and was headed right for Astrid.

"ASTRID! LOOK OUT!" Fishlegs warned. Astrid lifted her head, seeing the van; her eyes widened, and she froze in fear. Moments before Astrid would have gotten hit, and probably killed; a pair of hands fell on her arms and yanked her to the right and out of the way. Still scared, Astrid's eyes squeezed shut tightly as she felt herself falling. However, she never hit the ground.

"Dagur, stop that van!" Astrid heard Hiccup yell.

"On it!" Dagur called back. Astrid felt two arms around her figure and someone on top of her; breathing hard and a bit afraid still, Astrid opened her eyes and looked up to see that she was on the ground and being held by Hiccup.

"Oh, my Gods! Astrid! Are you okay?" Heather hurried over with Minden, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Snotlout.

"I-I think…so…" Astrid managed. "Wh-What happened?"

"That van was headed right for you, and you froze in place. Hiccup pulled you out of the way," Ruffnut explained. Hiccup got up and helped Astrid to her feet.

"Hiccup! He's getting away!" Dagur informed, pointing to the male who was trying to make a run for the woods.

"Keep an eye on her," Hiccup said as he gave a whistle and Toothless was at his side almost instantly. Hiccup jumped on his back, opening the tail. "After him, bud!" Toothless shot forward after the person driving the van, and cut him off as Toothless snared, bearing his teeth at the man. "That's far enough," Hiccup glared. Dagur landed on Shattermaster, making sure the male couldn't run anywhere else.

"Snotlout, call your dad. That guy just tried to run Astrid down!" Minden told Snotlout, who nodded and placed a call.

"Dad, someone tried to run Astrid down at school. Hiccup and Dagur have him cornered with their dragons," Snotlout said, then a few moments later. "Got it," then the call ended. "He's on his way with Uncle Al," Adelaide had finally made it to the group as Ruffnut was explaining what happened to Astrid. About ten minutes must have gone by before a squad car pulled up with Alvin and Spitelout getting out of it shortly afterward. Alvin took care of cuffing the male and getting him in the back of the cruiser.

"Astrid, tell me what happened," Spitelout asked. Astrid sighed but began to explain things; it didn't take very long since everything happened so quickly.

"And that's when Hiccup and Dagur cornered the guy until you arrived," Astrid finished.

"Stoick expressed his concerns to me that something like this might happen," Spitelout closed his eyes. This made Astrid remember what Stoick told her; that her parents were killed in a fire that was intentionally set. Something that she would have died in had she been home that night too. Hiccup looked at his uncle Spitelout now.

"You mean people going after Astrid, actively trying to kill her?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes; we're still working on the reasons why, and this could just be a coincidence that isn't tied to-," Alvin began.

"It's not the first time I've been attacked since my parents died…" Astrid said, her eyes closed and head turned away with her hands on her arms. Hiccup's eyes widened a little, shocked and a little worried. If this wasn't the first time, then why hasn't Astrid said anything?

"I feel we should move this to the station," Spitelout informed.

"I'll bring Astrid there," Hiccup offered; he wanted to know about this, and he felt he should go because Astrid would likely need the support. With everyone in agreement, Hiccup and Astrid got in Hiccup's Jeep, then left the lot following behind the cruiser.


	33. The Call

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The Call

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, February 17, 2022-3:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle Police Station)**_

Almost being run down at school opened my eyes to remember what Stoick told me; that someone was after my family and the reason I likely didn't get killed in the fire was that I snuck out that night to go to Eret's party. I'd been beaten up once on the streets, and nearly grabbed on my way into the school. Now, nearly run down? It was much more than a coincidence; someone was trying to get rid of me. I couldn't believe Hiccup saved me, though. I wasn't expecting him to be the one; I didn't think anyone would have been able to. Hiccup was the farthest person away because he'd gone back to the stables for something. A lot of students were in the lot, but who would put themselves at risk to push someone else out of the way. Hiccup did without hesitation, and he helped catch the guy responsible too. I was indebted to Hiccup for saving my life; I needed to do something to show my thanks. I didn't know what, but I would figure it out after I had some time to sit down and relax a bit.

Currently; Hiccup and I are at the station with Spitelout. Alvin handed the man who tried to kill me over to other officers for processing while Hiccup and I went into Spitelout's office.

"Alright, Astrid. Now, I want you to tell me about any other incidents of you being attacked," Spitelout said firmly.

"There was only two other; both of them in January. The first was on the 7th, I was walking home from work around 9 pm to the homeless shelter, and someone attacked me in an alleyway. Thrown into the wall, kneed in the side. I hit the ground, and then concerned citizens showed up, and the person ran off," I explained.

"And you never saw this person's face?" Spitelout asked.

I shook my head. "No; it was too dark. I know it was a male, a little taller than me for sure. But I don't have any other details to give you, Chief Jorgenson," I admitted.

"And the second incident?" Spitelout urged.

"The next one was on the 31st of January," I informed.

"The night I brought you to my house because you were sleeping in an alley during a snowstorm?" Hiccup inquired. I nodded to him.

"What happened?" Spitelout invited.

"I wasn't attacked, and it happened that morning. I was being followed for some time; then as I reached the school, someone grabbed my backpack to pull me back. I jerked away and got onto school grounds. But the time I turned around; the person was taking off down the streets. He was tall, thin, muscular upper body, dark, olive-toned skin with shaved, black hair and a goatee. If I had to guess an age…Maybe in his mid to late forties?" Astrid raised her hands a little, slightly unsure.

Spitelout sat back a little, rubbing his chin after writing the information down on a notepad. "What are you thinking, Uncle Spitelout?"

"As you are aware, Astrid; your parents got tragically killed by an arsonist, meaning their deaths were no accidents, my dear. At the same time; I am led to believe that that fire was meant to kill your parents and you. With you alive, someone is still trying to get rid of you," Spitelout informed.

I tensed, so I'd been right about being targeted. "I-I haven't done anything to anyone, though…" I said.

"I'm not saying you have, Astrid, but something bigger must be going on for you to be attacked on the streets once, then again less than two weeks later with someone grabbing you. And today with the guy driving the van. I can only assume that someone wants you dead or trying to kidnap you for a specific reason that I do not understand. And because of this; I'm calling in someone who handles cases like these that we work closely with," Spitelout informed as he lifted the phone from the cradle, and pressed a button. "This is Chief Jorgenson; I need to speak with Agent Haggard, please?" a pause. "Thank you,"

I tuned out for most of the conversation. Someone or several people were after me, and I didn't know why. Also, why did anyone want my parents gone? Nothing made sense to me, but I sincerely wanted answers on the matter. I saw Spitelout place the phone back in its position; then he sat forward at his desk. "Not to worry, Miss. Hofferson; we'll ensure your safety from here on out," Spitelout assured me. I managed a nod but remained confused, and a bit scared.

"I'm gonna get her some water," Hiccup said as he got up and left the office. I sat there, not sure what to say, think, or do.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{4:20 pm}**_

Hiccup couldn't believe this; Astrid was straight up being targeted by probably the same people who killed her parents. The worst part was; Hiccup didn't know if it was just one or many. It seemed there were several involved as Astrid could describe the 31st of January grabbing, but not the night she got attacked walking to the shelter from work. And today, the guy Dagur and Hiccup cornered was a young individual. The male had dark brown hair, shaved face, pale green eyes, a scar on the side of his face, and appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties. Hiccup brought Astrid a cup of cold water to help settle her down, but Hiccup knew that learning you were a target for unknown reasons was a perfectly valid excuse to be worried.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Spitelout said. The door opened revealing a male with light brown and the same colored beard; he had brown eyes and was wearing a brown suit, white shirt, and black tie, and brown shoes. "Agent Haggard, so good to see you again," Spitelout greeted.

"You as well, Chief Jorgenson," Agent Haggard replied as the two shook hands. "Are these the two who have information on the case?"

"Just the young lady, Hoark. My nephew is here as…Emotional support," Spitelout clarified. "Hoark, this is Astrid Hofferson. Astrid, might I introduce Agent Hoark Haggard from the Archipelago Investigation Bureau," Spitelout introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss. Hofferson," Hoark shook Astrid's hand.

"Astrid is fine, sir," Astrid replied. "And you as well," she added.

"And your nephew, Spitelout?" Hoark asked.

"Stoick's boy, Hiccup," Spitelout confirmed.

"Ah, yes. I remember. Now, let's get down to why I'm here, Spitelout. Could you explain it to me one more time?" Hoark asked.

"I called you in because Miss. Hofferson has been targeted three times since the untimely and unfortunate death of her parents. The first was January 7th, the second; January 31st. And the third is today. As I explained on the phone, Astrid's parents were killed in an arson attack on the Hofferson Residence. I believe that the fire was meant to kill her parents, and her, but Astrid was not home at the time. And now, I feel that she is in danger due to these attacks," Spitelout enlightened.

"I'm inclined to believe your theory, Chief Jorgenson, but this is a police matter. Why bring me into it?" Hoark inquired.

"Because the attacks were done by separate people. One of them is in custody with us now, and the other, I think is someone you've been after. Miss. Hofferson's description is similar," Spitelout explained.

"You think one of her attackers is someone from my case?" Hoark stared.

"Hoark, this isn't some random attack; it's happened three times from different people in various ways. Astrid was attacked on the streets by someone she couldn't see. Someone tried to grab her on the 31st, and able to give me a description. And the last is the one we have going through processing now for trying to run her down in the school parking lot. It's much more the coincidence that she's being targeted by someone, I don't know who, mere months after her parents were killed," Spitelout informed firmly.

"Is the fire still being investigated?" Hoark asked.

"Yes, we're working around the clock to find out who is responsible. Sadly, no matter how much time is spent locating who set the fire; it won't bring Colden and Alva Hofferson back to life. And while it's important to find their killers; I have to ensure that Miss. Hofferson stays alive. And I can't do that without your help, Hoark. I'm telling you, this is bigger than we think. You can't tell me as a top agent that you don't see it," Spitelout remarked.

Hoark sighed. "I suppose I cannot disagree with you knowing all this. You've said one of her attacker's descriptions matches one of my targets?"

"In the Bludvist case, one of his workers. A man in his mid to late forties, black hair, shaved head, goatee. Dark, olive-toned skin, thin body, muscular upper-half?" Spitelout responded. Hoard scratched his beard a few times, thinking about it. Finally, he pulled out his phone. "Fax me Hunters' picture to Chief Jorgenson's office. Thank you,"

"What's…All this about?" Astrid asked.

"We think our cases are one in the same. Hoark has been after a man named Drago Bludvist for a long time, and he has many people who work for him. The description of your attacker from the 31st of January matches one of Drago's workers," Spitelout informed. A fax came through, and Spitelout picked up the paper, then gave it to Hoark. The man looked it over and set it down in front of Astrid.

"Is this the man who grabbed you?" Hoark asked. Astrid looked at the picture.

"That's him," Astrid nodded. "He was following me while I walked to school, then as I reached the academy; he grabbed my backpack. I jerked away and got on the grounds, and when I turned away; he was running off,"

"And do we have any information on this other guy you caught?" Hoark questioned. Spitelout held up a folder for him, then opened it.

"Brynjar Holt, male, twenty-one-years-old. The residence is listed as Dragon Hunter Island. No father listed. Mother is Truda Holt, also from Dragon Hunter Island and recently deceased as of a year ago. Occupation is a Dragon Hunter. Never graduated High School, dropped out at sixteen," Spitelout informed, then handed over the folder to Hoark, who began to skim over the information.

"What's this Drago's guy deal? Why are you after him?" Hiccup asked.

"And why are his people trying to kill me?" Astrid questioned.

"We should tell them, Hoark," Spitelout mentioned.

"And get more people involved? The less they kn-," Hoark began.

"The more we know, Agent Haggard, the better. Astrid is being targeted already; if they can't get to her, who do you think they will go after next? Anyone she's close to. Me, my friends, even my family. This is…Not something we can be in the dark about. So for the sake of more lives spared…Tell us what we need to know," Hiccup said firmly.

Hoark sighed again, grabbing a seat and sitting down. "Drago Bludvist is a madman, with no conscience or mercy…" Hoark began. "We have evidence to believe that he's trying to take over the world. And I know how _mad-scientist_ _out of a comic book_ that sounds, but it's the honest truth. He's someone who has tried to gain control of Archia Isle multiple times by having one of his workers run against your father, Miss. Hofferson. Drago is not a man who likes to lose, and I feel that if he was desperate enough, might have been the person who ordered the hit to destroy your family. And it was likely meant to include you, but you were not home,"

"No, I was at my ex-boyfriend's house for a party. I saw the report and TV and rushed home, but it was too late," Astrid looked down.

"And it's been made known you survived, so Drago must have a hit out on you. I don't see why, though; it's not as if you're a threat to him," Spitelout said.

"But my dad being the Mayor is, Uncle Spitelout…" Hiccup interjected softly. "If Astrid's parents were killed because they were in the way of Drago's world domination or whatever…And my dad was elected now; who is to say Drago doesn't try something with my family?" he added. "You, Snotlout, Adelaide, Aunt Frida, Fishlegs, Uncle Alvin, Aunt Termagant...Runa..." Hiccup trailed off a little.

"Unfortunately, Hiccup is right, Hoark. It's only a matter of time before Drago strikes again. I'm not sure why Drago needs Astrid gone, but regardless; we need to do something. Miss. Hofferson isn't safe, neither is Hiccup and his family. Do we have anything on this guy?" Spitelout asked.

"Nothing. We know he's trouble, but we can't link him to anything. We can't catch him in the act; we can't prove anything without evidence, so we can't touch him," Hoark muttered. "Even with all this speculation, that's all it is," he added.

"Is there anything that we can keep a watch for outside of your agency?" Spitelout inquired.

"He has a lot of dragon hunters and trappers on his payroll. He works with dragons; he has several training locations outside of the Archipelago. All legal, though. Adequate food sources, everyone and everything on the books, licensed trainers," Hoark informed. "Our best bet might be to question this Brynjar fellow you have," he added.

"Alvin can question him, and we'll watch. What are we to do for Miss. Hofferson's safety?" Spitelout said.

"Putting a detail on her would be uncomfortable and draw attention that she doesn't need," Hoark stated.

"And no doubt that Drago could have kids working for him, people blending in her classes. This Brynjar guy looked young enough to pass as a student at her school," Spitelout remarked. "Astrid, how many classes do you have alone with no one else?"

"None. I have something with everyone I associate with. Math with Ruffnut, Fishlegs, and Minden. Language Arts with Hiccup and Snotlout. Gym with all of them. History with Minden and Tuffnut. Science with Hiccup, Heather, and Fishlegs. Dragon Training with all," Astrid listed off.

"Well, we don't want to involve anyone else…" Hoark said.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Hiccup offered. "Talk to the headmaster, and change my schedule to match hers, or hers to mine. I'm someone who can always be around to defend her," Astrid blinked a little at the idea. "Come on, Uncle Spitelout. You know I've been trained by Gobber, a former military man. I know how to use a dagger, a gun, and how to disarm someone with either. Astrid already lives with me and is on my work shifts. I've fought people three times my size, and I can handle myself against more than one. Astrid will be safe with me; this I can assure you,"

"It's not a bad idea," Spitelout looked at Hoark.

"And if something happens to him?" Hoark arched a brow.

"For Thor's sake; I have a Night Fury, Agent Haggard…Who is incredibly overprotective of me. I will be fine; I can take care of myself," Hiccup said assuringly.

"Alright, but I want anything if it happens, reported directly to your uncle or me, understand?" Hoark stated firmly.

"Perfectly, sir," Hiccup nodded.

"And what about the bathroom?" Spitelout asked.

"I'll have one of the girls go with her," Hiccup said.

"Very well; we'll keep you in the loop about what's going on with only what you need to know. Spitelout, see the schedule changes at the school," Hoark remarked.

"I will go first thing in the morning," Spitelout nodded. "You two are free to go. We'll handle Mr. Holt in lock-up," he added.

"Thank you, Chief Jorgenson, and you too, Agent Haggard," Astrid said softly as she stood and exited with Hiccup who got a look from Spitelout and Hoark, which he understood fully the message being given. Getting to the Jeep; Astrid and Hiccup bucked themselves in, then Hiccup started the vehicle up.

"So are you my undercover bodyguard now?" Astrid asked.

"I am the same thing I've always been, Astrid," Hiccup remarked as Astrid looked at him curiously. "Your friend,"

"Are we still going to work?" Astrid wondered.

"I think it's been enough of a hard day for us both," Hiccup stated as he drove away from the station and Astrid closed her eyes relaxing against the passenger seat in Hiccup's Jeep.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Once getting inside the home, Astrid was ready to eat dinner, get a hot shower, and sleep early. Of course, somewhere in that list of wants; she had homework to do. Hiccup had to take care of Runa first, then once she was down for a nap; he got started on his homework until 6:30 pm. At that point, Gobber, Stoick, and Valka were home, so it was dinner time. Hiccup and Astrid didn't say anything about what happened at school because they were sure Spitelout would say something to them. However, Hiccup did message his uncle Spitelout and asked him not to say anything about being Astrid's bodyguard, and his uncle responded with he wouldn't since he knew Valka and Stoick would flip out if they knew Hiccup was putting himself in danger to keep Astrid safe. At the same time; Spitelout understood that it was the most inconspicuous way to keep Astrid out of harm's way by always have someone with her in all classes, at work, at home.

When dinner finished, Valka and Stoick took Runa for a bit so Hiccup could do homework. Astrid went to finish her homework as well. By 8:30 pm, she was done and went to take a hot bath to relax her body from the soreness of the hit on the ground earlier when Hiccup saved her. Hiccup completed his homework by 8 pm, then went to take over caring for Runa. However, once it was later and Hiccup had Runa asleep in her nursery, he sat at his bedroom desk and pulled a small, old-fashioned phone. Hiccup selected the contact he wanted, then pressed the green button and put it to his ear.

" _Hiccup Haddock! My my, what a pleasant surprise; it's been too long. How are you, old friend? We must catch up!"_ a voice replied.

"Raincheck on the catching up, and I've been better," Hiccup replied.

" _I'm sorry to hear that. I trust you've called in high hopes of us fixing said mood then?"_ the man chuckled.

"I do hope and have faith you're able to accomplish such a task. I have a job for you and your brother," Hiccup remarked.

" _Right down to business as usual. That's why you're the favorite,"_ said another male with a slight accent.

" _We're listening,"_ the first man responded.

"Ever heard of a Drago Bludvist?" Hiccup said in a relaxed tone.

 _"Yeah, he's a psycho from what we've heard in rumors. And this mission has to do with him?"_ the man with an accent asked.

"Yes," Hiccup said.

 _"You have mine and my brother's undivided attention, boss,"_ the male informed.

"I knew I would," Hiccup sat back in his chair with a calm smile.


	34. Enjoy The Night

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Enjoy The Night

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, February 25, 2022-7:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk, Haddock Manor)**_

A week had passed since Astrid was almost run down at the school and Hiccup saved her from such a fate. Astrid was still beside herself that Hiccup, the farthest person away, at the time, was able to rescue her from getting killed in an intentional attack. Spitelout and Agent Haggard were working together with Alvin, and a few others to put the puzzle together. It was evident that Astrid's parents were killed. The questions to ask were why and by who. Suspect number one was Drago Bludvist, a man who wanted total control and worked from the shadows. Hiccup knew that Drago was legally covered from many things in the past that the police and AIB couldn't prove to put the guy away. Hiccup was able to obtain all this information through two people he helped avoid serious crimes in the past; Viggo and Ryker Grimborn. Hiccup hired them to gather as much information as they could on Drago, and as of yesterday, Hiccup possessed all that. The second half of the job was to infiltrate and find out Drago's connection to the murders of Colden and Alva Hofferson, and why they wanted Astrid gone too. Hiccup knew the police and AIB would never get this kind of information, and Drago would get away if they started meddling in the man's affairs. Hiccup was sending Viggo and Ryker undercover to do the job because their background would show their previous history in dragon trapping, hunting, and selling.

If Drago worked with all these kinds of people, then hiring Viggo and Ryker wouldn't be questionable at all. Hiccup had faith in the Grimborn brothers to get what was needed to stop Drago; then lock him up along with anyone else involved in this madness. Hiccup had met with Viggo and Ryker the same night he called them for the task he needed to be done. Hiccup got Viggo and Ryker to meet him slightly off the grounds of Haddock Manor, and then he explained the job to them, which they took, and promised stellar results for the price Hiccup offered to pay to ensure Drago is taken down. However, all Hiccup needed from the Grimborn brothers was information that would lead to the police and Agent Haggard arresting Drago. Anonymous tips Hiccup would drop at the station, and stay under the radar. Hiccup now acted as Astrid's bodyguard by being with her almost all the time. School, work, and home. Astrid had gotten transferred into Hiccup's classes by Monday the 21st; it's now the 25th, and things are going as planned to keep Astrid safe from any more attacks by Drago. Hiccup would update Spitelout if they were being watched, followed, or anyone approached them who seemed suspicious. None of the friends knew what was going on, but that just meant they were safer. If anyone was in danger now; it was Hiccup, and he didn't care.

It's a Friday night, Valka, Stoick, and Gobber put their heads together to throw Hiccup a surprise birthday for turning eighteen. Hiccup's birthday was technically on the 29th, but that didn't come this year, and the next closest date would have been in March. The Haddock parents and Gobber thought it might be fun to throw the party a week before normal. All of Hiccup's friends had gotten invited, including Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Ragna, Thuggory, and Gruffnut. Hiccup's group mentioned that it wasn't a good idea because Hiccup wasn't friends with those six, but Stoick assured that Hiccup would be fine with it since everything went so well during Valka's birthday and the celebration of Stoick becoming the Mayor of Archia Isle. Unfortunately, none of them anticipated that Hiccup would get called into work as soon as the school day ended. Hiccup left with his Jeep, and Astrid went back to Haddock Manor with Snotlout and Minden. Heather rode with Dagur on Shattermaster with the dragons following them. Fishlegs drove Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Eret, Ragna, and Gruffnut traveled together. Then Thuggory, Camicazi, and Nadia went in Thuggory's car.

"Where is he?" Gruffnut asked.

"Working," Ruffnut rolled her eyes.

"Can't we call him and ask how much longer?" Nadia suggested.

"Might not be a bad idea," Gobber shrugged to Valka, who was holding Runa, and Stoick. Olivia's parents, Bard and Maeva were present, and also Birgir, who was Olivia's little brother. Stoick and Valka knew Hiccup was still close to them even with Olivia gone now; Runa was the piece that kept everyone together, and the fact they all loved Olivia dearly.

"Frigga. Call Hiccup." Stoick stated.

" **Calling** _ **Hiccup**_ **,"** the voice responded. There was ringing six times, and then it went to voicemail.

"Well, that's a no-go," Heather mumbled.

Valka sighed. "Frigga, call Hiccup's Work,"

" **Calling** _ **Hiccup's Work**_ **,"** the voice replied. Two rings in, there was a pick-up.

" _Archia Burger, this is Hiccup,"_ Hiccup answered.

"Hi, son. It's Dad," Stoick said.

" _You guys know better than to call my job unless someone is dying or has died. What is it? I'm immensely busy at the moment,"_ Hiccup informed.

"We were wondering when you're coming home. You weren't supposed to work tonight originally," Valka stated.

" _Henrik had a family emergency to deal with at 3 pm; that's why he asked me to work when originally, he and Johann switched to give me tonight off. Johann opened, and Henrik was going to close. And I said I'd take Johann's Sunday closing shift. Haven't heard from Henrik in an hour and a half, so I don't know what's going on. As it stands, I might be here until close. Why? Am I needed at home or something?"_ Hiccup asked.

"Well, no. We just thought you might be back already. It's Friday night; you and your friends have your sleepover, a-and Runa is waiting for her daddy," Stoick said quickly.

"Dada!" Runa clapped happily.

" _Hi, Lil lady. I promise I'll be home as soon as I can. Okay? I love you. Look, I'm doing my best guys, but-Hang on. Hello?"_ a pause as they assumed he must have gotten another call. _"Glad he's okay, my friend. See you in five, bye,"_ another small break. _"Okay, I'm back. That was Harry; he's on his way now. I'll be home in about twenty or so. And for the love of Odin, please, someone have my migraine pill at the ready,"_

"You developing one, laddie?" Gobber asked.

" _Had since about 4:20,"_ Hiccup corrected.

"How are you even functioning?" Valka wondered with concern.

"Are you going to be alright to drive, son?" Stoick inquired.

" _I'll be fine, Dad. And Mom; it's not without difficulty. See you soon,"_ then the call ended.

"Should we even do the party? Hiccup's not gonna be up for a lot of noise and lights when he gets home if he's had a migraine all this time," Snotlout asked.

"We'll see how it goes when he gets here," Stoick said. The rest nodded, then relaxed until Hiccup arrived.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:35 pm}**_

Hiccup pulled in the Motor Court, then parked in the driveway and shut off the vehicle. Nausea was already setting in, and he just wanted to sleep. However, he knew something was happening tonight because it was so close to his 18th birthday. Hiccup made his way through the house and went through the Family Room, Kitchen, and finally, to the Great Room, where he'd been able to see everyone gathered there. Exactly as he suspected; they were throwing him a surprise party, or at least it was an attempted one, but they didn't know he was there yet. Backing up a few paces into the kitchen, he decided to let them have their fun; after all, he was turning eighteen in a few more days.

"I'm home!" Hiccup called, then gave them a minute to shuffle around before beginning to walk again. Hiccup entered the Great Room and prepared himself.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Hiccup!" they came out and said in quiet voices, but still smiling. Right away, Hiccup noticed six people who he didn't feel needed to be there. At the same time; he too tired to care. Hiccup knew his parents likely assumed all of them were friends because Hiccup played nice with everyone regardless of personal feelings until someone ticked him off. And Hiccup knew his parents were aware the six populars angered him often, so why his folks would even assume this was okay was beyond Hiccup.

"Thanks," Hiccup replied, playing along with a hand over his heart and looking surprised at what they did. His eyes went right to Runa, then walked over to take her from his mother. Runa reached for him happily, giggling.

"Dada! Dada! Dada!" Runa continued as Hiccup picked her up and span her around once, earning for laughter from the almost nine-month-old little girl. Hiccup brought her in and against his chest.

"There's the light of my life," Hiccup said, kissing Runa's forehead as she laid her head on his shoulder, and snuggled close.

"How's you're head feel, son?" Valka asked.

"Like I had an anvil dropped on it," Hiccup informed.

"I'm surprised you look so calm compared to last time we saw you with a migraine," Eret remarked.

"Good at hiding things, in case you haven't noticed," Hiccup replied.

"No kidding," Camicazi folded her arms over her chest.

"The mansion, daughter, and girlfriend weren't prime examples that you hide things," Thuggory huffed. Hiccup flinched a little.

"Seriously, is there anything we still don't know?" Gruffnut added.

"Not even his girlfriend; they got married for a whole five minutes, remember?" Ragna said calmly with a smile.

"I'd stop if I were you," Astrid warned.

"Oh, you zip it, traitor," Nadia accused.

"Traitor?! Excuse me, who abandoned who!" Astrid fired back. "Just leave Hiccup alone," she huffed.

"We're just having a little fun with him; it's a party, remember?" Eret said casually.

"You're bringing up Olivia and Runa, which you've been warned twice now; one ending with Eret having a bloody nose, not to do," Heather stated.

"Eh, Hiccup can handle it; it's been like, what? Almost four months," Thuggory said, shrugging. "Can't be hung up on her forever, Hic," Hiccup's mood altered instantly, and his friends, Olivia's family, and his own all saw it right away. "I mean, come on; she's dead," Hiccup's eyes closed, as he took a deep breath.

"Don't talk about my sis-," Birger started, but Bard clamped a hand over his mouth, and pulled him back quietly.

"Take Runa out of the room," Hiccup said. Maeva approached, taking Runa from Hiccup, then she, Bard, and Birger began to exit the room together.

"Stoick, don't let him-," Gobber mentioned, but Stoick just shook his head.

"He's my son, Gobber, and he has my temper. No one gets in my way when I get mad, and I don't think I want to be in his way when he's that calm," Stoick informed. "Kids, come this way," he added towards Dagur, Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden. Quietly, all nine of them shuffled backward near Valka, Stoick, and Gobber, leaving Hiccup to face the six populars. As soon as Bard, Birger, and Maeva were out of the room with Runa, Hiccup opened his eyes, and they narrowed darkly.

"You know…It amazes me that your parents, all of them are well-respected citizens of Archia Isle. Kind, caring, sympathetic, understanding and many more describer words I could probably list off if I gave even half a care in the entire world to spend that amount of time speaking to you. I consider myself to be intelligent, but for the life of me…I can't figure out how your parents are incredible people that I'm happy to associate with, and then there is you fucking asses and bitches that I can't stand and continuously wonder how you six came from the same people because you are nothing like them!" Hiccup glared.

"You six are single-handedly the most annoying, inconsiderate, irritating, disrespectful, ill-mannered, unsympathetic, impolite, uncourteous, shameless, and unkind people that I've ever had the displeasure of meeting! Why in the name of Odin would you bring up Olivia's death when her parents and brother are standing right here?! Why would you bring it up at all when it's nothing to do with you!" Hiccup raged. "Who cares that it's been nearly four months, that doesn't erase the hurt of losing someone you love. The pain that comes from knowing life has to continue without that person. How do you think her parents feel, losing their daughter when she was only seventeen. Her brother, who is now an only child. What about Runa, who has to grow up without her mother because she won't remember much of her since was only five months old when Liv died?" Hiccup stated.

"Then again; I don't expect any of you to know how it feels to lose someone you love. I'm sure you grab a bunch of money, go out, and buy shit to keep yourselves distracted. You're not parents; you don't know the tormenting feeling of losing a child. I lost Olivia, who is the mother of my daughter, and was my wife. That hurts like hell, but if I ever lost Roo? Forget it; I'd fucking lose my mind in grief. My parents would likely have to admit me, so I didn't snap entirely. Liv had cancer, how do I know Roo won't have it? All the appointments and tests I have to go to, so I can ensure she gets whatever she needs…I live in constant fear of my little girl being sick. You have no idea what it's like! You think it's so easy to move on? What if you lost your parents? Would you get over after a few months? What if they lost you? You think they'd be okay losing their child so young?" Hiccup asked as none of the six had an answer.

"I don't know why you were invited tonight. We are not friends, and honestly, I don't think we ever can be. You fuckers would have to learn how to be human beings with feelings first and prove you've changed for the better. And even then; I don't know if I can forgive all the shit you've put my friends and me through over the years. It would take a miracle for me to believe that you're sorry for everything. And that's just me, never mind what it would take from them to be satisfied. Gruffnut, you're Ruff and Tuff's cousin; you're family, and you bully them. You're supposed to have their back! And the rest of you…Shit, you abandoned Astrid after claiming to my face in October that you wouldn't throw a friend aside if they suddenly lost everything. You swore you knew who your real friends are. You're a bunch of asshole hypocrites! And if this is the way you're going to continue to be; don't want you in my life, around me, or my friends and family," Hiccup stated.

"Unless it's another event where you _have_ to come with your parents; you're not welcome here anymore. At least I know when you're around them; you act like perfect angels. You stay the hell away from me from now on. The only time we need to associate is Dragon Training at school, which at such time you better just shut the fuck up and do as your told. Unless it's a question or discussion for Dragon Training; I don't want to fucking hear a word out of any of you. And one more thing; so help you Odin if you bring up Olivia in any way, shape, or form again; you will regret the day you ever crossed me because I will tell your parents everything I know. You six aren't the only ones who have dirt on others and can start rumors in that school. The only difference is; once a rumor is proven true, it becomes a fact. Test me and fucking find out how miserable I can make your lives with what I know about you. This is not a threat; it's a promise. Consider yourselves uninvited. Fuck off and get out, now," Hiccup growled almost. Hiccup stood there, his fists clenched tightly until the knuckled had turned white and cracked. It was evident the man was trying to stay in control of his anger. As the six prepared to go; Hiccup was breathing hard.

"Hi-Hiccup?" Astrid asked. Without warning, Hiccup's knees went weak; his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell back. Dagur rushed forward and caught Hiccup before he hit the ground. "Oh, my gods!" Astrid covered her mouth quickly.

"Gobber, take care of them," Stoick ordered as he and Valka went to Hiccup's side. Gobber led the six out just as Hiccup began to regain consciousness. Stoick sighed. "A migraine, mourning, overworking, the stress; it was just too much at once for him,"

"I-I'm fine," Hiccup told them as he forced himself to sit up. Ruffnut got him a water bottle, and he took a few sips. "Really, I'm okay. I just…Want to hang with you guys for my birthday. Please? Let's just…Enjoy the rest of the night," Hiccup suggested. Not wanting to argue because they knew if Hiccup went upstairs or for a fly; he'd be upset over everything. And this was a party for him, so why not grant his request to enjoy the night. Nodding with smiles to Hiccup; that's exactly what they proceeded to do.


	35. Someone to Confide In

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Someone To Confide In

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, March 1, 2022-2:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Dragon Training Field)**_

Despite what happened during Hiccup's eighteenth birthday party; we somehow ignored the verbal assault Hiccup gave to the six popular jerks and enjoyed the party. I had to admit that seeing Hiccup angry, then passing out; it scared me a little. However, Hiccup assured us he was okay, and just wanted to have fun while hanging out with good friends. How could any of us deny him that? There was pizza, chips, sandwiches, soda, water, chicken wings, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, cookies, and cake. Hiccup had music playing lightly, and we all just sat around talking. For me, it felt like old times. I was beginning to remember my friendship with Hiccup and the others. I was mad at myself for forgetting, and I was sure the others were hurt but seemed to be accepting of me, and providing a second chance. It was Hiccup the night of that party for his mother's birthday and father's mayorship who finally explained what he meant about us being friends at one point. I was shocked, but Hiccup showed me pictures and told me that regardless of me changing; he's never left my side and always been looking out for me.

This was proven by the fact he had going out of his way several times to make sure I'm alright. Hiccup gave me a job at Archia Burger, and money to get work shoes and turn my phone one. Hiccup had offered me rides and even came after me after work during the middle of a storm because he hadn't wanted me to walk in it. Hiccup forced me to come home with him because I was homeless; there was just so much that Hiccup has done, and I doubt I'll ever be able to repay him for his kindness. Living at Haddock Manor was interesting. I had breakfast with Valka, Stoick, Gobber, Runa, and Hiccup every morning and dinner at night. Lunches were usually at school Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I usually had lunch with Hiccup and Runa unless Runa was with Olivia's parents. Sometimes Stoick and Valka were home on Saturday and Sunday, and if they were; then it was lunch with them too. I still worked at Archia Burger on Hiccup's shifts, and I'm in every single one of his classes now. Hiccup is my unofficial bodyguard until all this mess with being a target is cleared up. Nobody knows about all that, but the guy who tried to run me down lost his license for three years, had to pay a $5,000 fine, and serving a year in prison. All of that was because it was an attempted hit and run, and the guy tried to flee the scene.

Of course, I knew I wasn't safe because of this Drago guy who had Odin only knew how many people working for him. I worried for Hiccup too because my parents were killed for a reason I didn't understand, and now Hiccup's father was the Mayor. According to Agent Haggard, Drago had people try to run against my father in past years to take total control of Archia Isle. Unfortunately, all of it was speculation in the island's eyes because Drago had his bases covered as far as doing anything illegal where he could get arrested. Since Hiccup is around me all the time now, I've been alright in the sense that no attempts have been made on my life. It looks like Hiccup knew what he was talking about as far as keeping me safe. Having someone around all the time ensured I was never by myself where I could be attacked, kidnapped, or killed. Again; I owed Hiccup my life because he was risking himself for me. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him while protecting me. There was nothing I could do, though; Hiccup insisted on doing this. I felt like there was an underlying reason as to why, but I doubted Hiccup would tell me. I'm sure if there was; I'd figure it out sooner or later.

Hiccup is finally eighteen now that it's March. My birthday was in eight days, and I expected nothing to happen as I'd be pretty miserable without my parents here to celebrate me turning eighteen. Right now, I'm in Dragon Training, and we have about fifteen minutes left. Hiccup and I would be going to work afterward, but I wasn't sure I was up for it. I didn't feel well at all but hadn't said anything to anymore. In training, Hiccup has started us on flying our dragons. The six populars haven't said a word to Hiccup since the night of Hiccup's party, and that's likely because Hiccup warned them not to talk to him unless it had to do with dragon training class. Now, we haven't started flying yet; Hiccup is going over the flight limits and laws, how licensing works, and how the rest of the year will be until Finals in May. However, Hiccup did let our dragons out of the stables to sit with us while we listened to all the information. Toothless was laying beside Hiccup, sleeping, and I still couldn't get over the fact Hiccup had a Night Fury. These dragons were ridiculously rare and rumored not to get along with any dragons or humans. Toothless, though; he's as friendly as a cat or dog, which is hilarious.

"Astrid! Are you with us?" Hiccup said loud enough to snap me out of my thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, I'm here, Hiccup," I replied.

"What's going on with you today? You've been in your world all day," Hiccup mentioned.

"Just not feeling well," I admitted.

"Do you need to go to the nurse? Or a doctor because apparently, you haven't felt well in a couple of days," Hiccup asked.

"No, I'm okay," I told him as he sighed, nodded, then got back to looking at a few things.

"She's probably pregnant," I heard Nadia snicker with the others quietly.

"Looks like she gained a few pounds," Eret remarked.

"You know that if she is, Eret; it's your baby," Ragna said softly.

"Not my problem," Eret huffed as I winced a little at his harsh words. "I did my part and wore protection; her birth control probably messed up. If she is, I ain't helping; she can get rid of it for all I care," I couldn't believe he just said that. I was pregnant with his baby, and then I had a miscarriage! It had one of the most painful things I'd ever had to go through, and I did it alone with no medical care or support. I knew he would say something like that if I'd told him, but hearing it all after the fact hurt more.

"If you're not talking about something dragon training related, stop talking," Hiccup warned. The others stopped, but I couldn't erase the heartache I felt right now. I knew I might get in trouble, but I refused to stay in class after hearing what they said. I grabbed my bag, then got up, and hurried away.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called. I ignored him and kept running. There were only ten minutes of class left anyway, and I'm sure Hiccup will find me at the Jeep and ask what happened. The worst part was; I wouldn't be able to lie to him because Hiccup always knew if someone was. I reached the parking lot, and fell against Hiccup's Jeep, crying into my palms.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{11:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup knew that something was wrong when Astrid ran away from class when there had only been ten minutes left. However, he knew the immediately following school; they had work. All Hiccup decided to ask upon reaching his Jeep, where he found Astrid after the last bell of the day was if she felt well enough to work her shift. Astrid nodded, and they silently drove to Archia Burger. Hiccup decided to out Astrid on a simple position, and keep an eye on her throughout the night; there was an overwhelming sense of sadness and depression that Hiccup could visibly see. There were a few times that Hiccup noticed Astrid sitting in the back, trying not to cry, or telling herself to keep it together. On Astrid's break, she didn't eat anything but sat by the window in the dining room, staring out into nothing. A few times, Hiccup caught sight of Astrid's hands on her stomach, and it made him wonder if something Eret said in dragon training was true. Was Astrid pregnant? Now, with them back home, Hiccup knew it was late but if Astrid was pregnant; then she'd need doctors, appointments, prenatal vitamins. No, Hiccup had to know what was going on because he was sure it had to do with why Astrid ran off from the class before.

Getting inside the home, then upstairs, Astrid prepared to go inside her room. "Astrid," Hiccup said, gaining her attention. "You and I need to talk," he said.

"I don't feel well, and just want to get some sleep," Astrid said softly, not looking at him.

"I haven't asked you about it all day, Astrid; I need to know why you left class earlier," Hiccup said.

"Can' we talk about it in the morning?" Astrid tried.

"No, Astrid. Now, come on; let's go talk," Hiccup said, motioning for her to follow him into his sitting room, which was off the bedroom. Astrid nodded, walking to the area and Hiccup then closed the door as the two of them sat down on the couch facing the fireplace and TV. "What's going on, Astrid? You've told me you don't feel well the last couple of days, you're moody, tired, and you ran off from class earlier. You didn't eat on your break, and you've been zoning out more and more during lessons. I can't stress enough how imperative it is to have your focus in training, especially now that we're moving into flight,"

"I-I know; I'm sorry Hiccup…I just…What the jerks said earlier really got to me, and that's why I left," Astrid admitted.

"Why would it get to you, Astrid? What were they saying?" Hiccup asked.

"Making comments that I'm pregnant, have put on weight…" Astrid looked down.

"Why would that bother you? Unless, of course, it's true," Hiccup said as Astrid didn't reply. "Astrid?" she never looked at him. "Astrid, look at me, please?" Finally, Astrid looked at him slightly. "Tell me the truth; are you pregnant?"

"Not anymore…" Astrid closed her eyes sadly. That response took Hiccup by surprise.

 _What does she mean not anymore?_ Hiccup thought. _Was she?_ He wondered. "Astrid…When were you pregnant?" he asked boldly.

"B-Back in January," Astrid managed to get out.

"What happened?" Hiccup pushed. Astrid fiddled with her fingers a little.

"I-I had a miscarriage…" Astrid choked up, blinking her eyes not to cry. Hiccup stared at her with wide eyes; she was pregnant and had a miscarriage in January. Finally, she took a breath, keeping her eyes down. "Eret and I had sex most of the weekend before they all ditched me in December; I didn't think anything of the possibility that I was pregnant because he always used condoms and I had that five-year IUD that goes inside the vagina," she started as Hiccup listened. "I was due for my next period on the Christmas Day…And I never got it. After three days, I took my IUD out, just in case. And I figured I wouldn't be having sex any time soon since Eret broke up with me after cheating for four months…" she sighed.

"It's okay…Take your time," Hiccup offered.

"I was able to get a pregnancy test on the 1st of January since I got paid on the 31st, and it was positive. I said I would give the baby up for adoption, since I was living in a shelter, and couldn't even take care of myself. I never told Eret because of the fear of exactly what he said earlier; that it wouldn't be his problem, and he wouldn't help me…" Astrid continued. "On the 11th…When the jerks embarrassed me in front of everyone because I bled through…I went to the see Nurse Mala…I told her I was pregnant, explained everything I'd been feeling all day…A-And she told me I was having a miscarriage,"

"Astrid, I am so sorry," Hiccup comforted.

"I feel like the reason it happened is that I got attacked on the 7th…" Astrid wiped her eyes. "I got to the shelter after school, and that's when I got kicked out because it came up in the monthly drug test that I was pregnant,"

"And that's when you ended up homeless until I found you," Hiccup stated, and Astrid nodded to him. "So you didn't run away today because Eret and the others were saying semi-true things; it was because remembering the miscarriage hurts you,"

"Yeah…I knew I was going to give the baby up anyway, but…It didn't deserve not even to have a chance…" Astrid sniffled a few times.

"I feel you on that one," Hiccup said as Astrid glanced at him. "Olivia wanted to give her baby up too after she found out,"

"Wait…What did you just say?" Astrid said quickly.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"You just said Olivia wanted to give up her baby when she found out…I thought you said the night of your dad's mayorship party that Olivia refused to give up Runa even though she had cancer?" Astrid asked. Hiccup tensed a bit, then cursed under his breath. "Hiccup…" she pushed.

"Okay, so maybe I haven't been…Entirely truthful with you about a couple of things, but it's only because I don't want to lose Runa, and if it ever got out to certain people; they'd take her away from me," Hiccup informed.

"You can tell me, Hiccup. I wouldn't do anything to risk Runa being taken from you. Please? I could use a distraction from talking about my miscarriage…" Astrid tried. Hiccup sighed, looking down a bit.

"Alright, I'll tell you, Astrid, but I swear to Odin…You can't breathe a word, to anyone. Okay? Only our friends know the truth. Not Gobber, not my parents…Not even Olivia's family…" Hiccup said.

"I won't tell…I promise," Astrid replied gently.

"You remember that day where I punched Eret in the face for talking about Liv and Roo?" Hiccup asked.

"Everyone remembers that day, Hiccup," Astrid stated. Hiccup sighed.

"They were right in their assumptions," Hiccup informed quietly. "Runa…Isn't my biological daughter," Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "Olivia and I don't have a child together. Runa is Liv's daughter, and she put listed me as the father to ensure I would have custody of Runa when she passed away," Hiccup began.

"Who…Is Runa's real dad?" Astrid asked.

"The guy who raped Liv. We don't know who he is, as far as I know; they never caught him," Hiccup closed his eyes. "Astrid, listen. Olivia and I hadn't been dating two years. I met Olivia because I'm the only who found her after she got raped, and took her to the hospital," he said softly.

"So…Everything you told us that day when we met her; it was a lie?" Astrid asked.

"A necessary one to protect Runa. My friends know the truth, but nobody else. Olivia didn't want to be alone after what happened, so I stayed with her in the hospital after the attack until her family arrived. We just talked about random things; she wanted me to keep her mind off what happened. At the hospital, because I'm not family or whatever, Liv told them I was her boyfriend, so they'd let me stay there with her. We continued that lie when her folks arrived, saying that I was her secret boyfriend, and we'd met at Dragon's Edge, then started dating but kept it on the down-low," Hiccup continued.

"I take it that this worked because you both have been there before?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded. "We were actually at the same campground around the same time, but no, we never met there. Anyway, I slipped Olivia my number during a hug goodbye when I left the hospital. We agreed over text that she and I would _break up_ later on since everyone would want to know why I wasn't around since they knew about me. However, Olivia came to see me at work, to thank me properly for helping her out after the attack. I decided to take my break, buy her lunch, and we ate together to catch up a little. Olivia told me that she found out she was pregnant from the rape and was planning to give up the baby. Not that she wanted to, but because she wouldn't be able to care for it by herself,"

"Sounds like my reasoning," Astrid sighed a little. "So what happened after that; you just stepped up as the dad?"

"Well, that's the simplified version." Hiccup nodded. "Liv told me she wanted to keep the baby because rape or not; the baby deserved to have a life. I had Olivia come over a couple of days later, so we could talk more and maybe be friends. But Liv told me that she had cancer, and she would have to terminate the pregnancy to have a small chance of saving herself. But she wanted the baby to have a life. However, her parents wouldn't accept it when she told them. So I stepped up and said let's keep the relationship act going, and I would help her with the baby. Liv was skeptical, but I assured her that it meant the baby would be well taken care of, and loved,"

"And that's when she decided to keep Runa and give her to you?" Astrid wondered.

"Olivia and I started dating when she was like, six weeks along, basically a month and a half along. But she also learned about having cancer. I know my dad said otherwise the night of the Mayorship party, but we didn't find out before she got pregnant. Anyway, Olivia and I talked about everything regarding being together to keep the lie going, and she confessed about everything she wanted to do before she died, acting normal as nothing changed. Olivia said she was going to put me on the birth certificate, so no one would be able to take Runa; everyone would believe she's mine. Olivia and I planned everything together, showing a positive test, first sonograms, her belly growing. We made it seem like we had sex and that's how she got pregnant. No one knew she got raped, just attacked, so it played out nicely," Hiccup explained.

"So you two were only together as a couple from…November 2020 to November 2021; literally, a year…" Astrid asked.

"That's right. Liv was a little over a month pregnant when we started dating to make everything more real and everyone buying that we'd been together for a while," Hiccup said.

"Wait, hang on. You're telling me that you helped Olivia in October 2020 when she got sexually assaulted, and a month later when she learns she's pregnant in November 2020. You two decide then that you'll play off being Runa's father, and you're the one who knocked her up. No one knew about the rape?" Astrid asked to confirm, and Hiccup nodded. "Okay, so she's four weeks in November, tells you; then you two start actual dating. Flashforward to June 2021, Runa is born, and Olivia is told she didn't have long left?"

"Correct," Hiccup said.

"Alright, and come November 2021…You two get hitched at the hospital bedside, she passes away leaving you full custody of Runa. And no one but Snotlout, Fishlegs, Minden, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Dagur, and Heather know the truth?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"And if anyone knew…" Astrid trailed off.

"They would take Runa away from me because she isn't mine. More than likely, Runa would go to Bard and Maeva Holgerson as next they are next of kin to Liv. And with the truth out; they'd never let me near Runa again. And I don't know what I'd do without Roo…I fell in love with Olivia after we got together, all the feelings…All that was real, and if I lost Runa; I'd probably lose my mind…" Hiccup admitted.

"Well, you don't have to worry, Hiccup," Astrid put her hand on his softly. "Your secret is safe with me as it is with your other friends," she smiled. Hiccup did the same.

"Thank you, Astrid. We should get some sleep; it's late," Hiccup informed as he got up. Astrid did the same, nodding in agreement. "Goodnight, Ast,"

"Night, Hic," Astrid replied. The two smiled at one another; then Astrid left the room to get to her own. Hiccup grabbed a quick shower and got into bed. Astrid just changed clothes and would shower in the morning. It was a nice for both of them to be able to talk the way they did; having someone to confide all your secrets with as best friends always did.


	36. Here For A Reason

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Here For A Reason

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, March 4, 2022-2 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

Nothing in my life had been right since my parents died in November. Here I am, almost four months later and nothing has gotten better for me except for the fact I have a job and my old friends back. Sadly, none of that erased the pain of everything I've been through in such a short period. My parents died in an intentional house fire, something that was meant to kill me too, but because I snuck out that night to go to Eret's; I got spared. Not that it mattered because I've been attacked once, almost kidnapped another, and nearly run down in the school parking lot. After my parents died, not only did I lose them but my home, car, people who I thought were my friends, the boyfriend I gave my virginity to, the baby I got pregnant with from said ex-lover; it just feels like no matter what I do, nothing gets better. Sure, there have been some great moments where I could smile, but it doesn't last. In January before the miscarriage happened; I'd contemplated killing myself because I figured no one would care if I lived or died. And things seemed hopeful for a bit after moving into Haddock Manor, but that still didn't change anything. My eighteenth birthday is supposed to be in five days on the 9th of March, and I don't see me making it that far because as it is right now; I'm standing on the roof of the school wondering if I should jump or not.

Today had been positively awful, and I didn't think it mattered if I died anymore. Eret, Nadia, Gruffnut, Camicazi, Ragna, and Thuggory have taken every chance they can to make me feel like I don't belong here anymore. I know Hiccup said to drown them out, but I couldn't, and can't. I just wanted things to be over, so I didn't have to live this way anymore. Everything started this morning when Hiccup and I arrived; he got called away for something and told me to wait by his locker for him since that's where all his friends were and could keep an eye on me. Unfortunately, I had a super bad headache and went to the nurse for aspirin, and that's where it began.

 _ **/Flashback; 7:15 am/**_

" _Are you okay, Astrid?" Heather asked._

" _Yeah, I just need aspirin or something," I admitted._

" _The nurse's office should be open, why not grab one before the first period?" Minden suggested._

" _Yeah, I'll do that," I nodded, then moved away from them. "See you later," I added while walking towards the nurse's office._

 _ **. . .**_

 _Reaching my destination, I messaged Hiccup first to let him know, and then again once I got there. Hiccup said it was okay, just to be safe, and if anything happened to call him. I headed into Mala's office and saw her at the desk._

" _Astrid, hello," Mala greeted._

" _Hi, Nurse Mala. I-I was just wondering if I could get a couple of aspirin before class," I inquired._

" _Sure, sweetie," Mala stood, and went to the cabinet to find the painkillers. After a few moments, she approached me with two pills in a small cup, and then another cup with water. "Here you go," she offered. I took the drink first, then the two aspirins to drink it swallow it together._

" _Thank you," I smiled a bit._

" _No problem, Astrid. How are you doing lately with everything?" Mala asked._

" _I'm…Doing, I guess," I responded. "Still hard," I told her._

" _Rome wasn't built in a day, Astrid, and coping with loss doesn't happen that fast either," Mala informed gently. I nodded to her understanding. "You know, you can speak to the school counselor if you need to," she said._

" _I-I know, I think I'm alright, though," I said softly._

" _Well, I've been worried about you since that day you came here in January with the bleeding," Mala reminded. I tensed a bit; the day I came because of the miscarriage, which I hadn't known that's what it was until Mala said something. "Is that something you're handling okay?"_

" _It…Was hard to get through those few days, and reminders still get to me a little, but…I guess I'm okay," I said._

" _I know miscarriages are hard, Astrid. It's nothing easy for any woman of any age who goes through it. Some find comfort in knowing that maybe, though the pregnancy came early and unplanned, it just wasn't the right time to have a child. And they get the chance again when it is time," Mala smiled to me._

" _If that's the case, then yeah; it was time for me…Fresh off a breakup, lost my parents, home…People I thought were my friends," I sighed._

" _Keep your chin up, Astrid. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Please know that no matter how bad it gets; things will turn around and get better," Mala offered._

" _Thanks, Nurse Mala; I'll keep that in mind," I replied as I got up and left the room to get to my first class of the day. History now since I got moved into all of Hiccup's classes, so I follow his schedule instead of the one I had at the start of this year. Only three months to go, what more else could go wrong in such a time? At this rate; nothing would surprise me anymore. I texted Hiccup first and told him I was heading to first class and would meet him there. I made sure my phone was on silent, the slipped it into my pocket before walking down the hallway to History._

 _ **. . .**_

 _ **{7:24 am}**_

 _ **(History)**_

 _I got to History and found Gruffnut there, but not Hiccup. I didn't have any class with anyone else but those two. Twenty seconds before the final 7:30 am bell; Hiccup rushed through the door. Hiccup took his seat and class began. I just hoped that the aspirin Mala gave me would kick in soon because this sucked._

 _ **. . .**_

 _ **{10:30 am}**_

 _ **(Physical Education)**_

 _I still had a headache and felt worse than when I started my day. It wasn't because of illness, no; it was because Eret, Thuggory, Camicazi, Ragna, Gruffnut, and Nadia were trying to piss me off today. I was sure of it. The girls would shove me around if Hiccup weren't next to me, and the boys were constantly reminding me of things outside of my control. Everywhere I turned, people were talking about me; that I lost my parents, home, money, car…Everything. A lot talked about the fact I was working with Hiccup, that we're suddenly in the same classes, and that I live at Haddock Manor. I tried not to let it get to me, but I couldn't. Their words hurt regardless of how true or untrue the things getting said were. Like every class; ten minutes before the bell that would send us to our next period, we were allowed into the locker rooms to shower and change into our uniforms. As soon as I finished, I prepared to go out and wait for the others._

" _So you miscarried Eret's baby?" Ragna said, leaning on the wall near the exit. How did they know about my miscarriage? The only people who knew were Mala…and Hiccup. I know Hiccup wouldn't say anything; he hates the populars. And Mala is bound by student confidentiality._

" _You don't know what you're talking about," I retorted._

" _Don't fucking lie, bitch," Nadia blocked me from leaving next._

 _Camicazi walked up, arms folded across her chest. "We heard all about it when you were in the nurse's office," I tensed a little._

" _I was in the bathroom when you came in," Ragna stated. "So you were pregnant with my boyfriend's baby, and killed it,"_

" _I got pregnant long before he was your boyfriend, then again; maybe you are right since he was cheating on me for four months. I didn't do anything to the baby; miscarriage is when the pregnancy ends on its own for numerous reasons that have nothing to do with me," I retorted._

" _You were carrying it; that makes it your fault," Camicazi snorted._

" _Eret's pretty hurt about it," Nadia mentioned casually._

" _Yeah, okay," I rolled my eyes._

" _Maybe he didn't want to have the baby with you, but he would have taken custody, and we would have raised him or her," Ragna stated._

" _Even if the baby survived; I would never hand such an innocent life to you two," I glared._

" _What means would you have to care for a baby? You're homeless, no money, shitty job…" Camicazi informed._

" _A judge would rule in favor of the father," Ragna enlightened._

" _Well, there is no baby anymore. If you want one so bad; then you let that ass get your pregnant," I huffed, then prepared to leave again._

" _Who do you think you are to talk to me that way!?" Ragna pushed me into the wall hard, and I winced._

" _I believe I am Astrid Hofferson and have freedom of speech," I snarked back._

" _Learn your place, Hofferson; not that the name means anything anymore," Camicazi shoved me again._

" _You'll go down just like the rest of them," Nadia smirked. I felt the pain rising when she said that._

" _Shut up!" I demanded._

" _Awe, does that hurt you? Knowing you're the last Hofferson alive?" Ragna said in a fake sympathetic voice._

" _Everyone else is gone, and the line ends with you. Why don't you do everyone a favor and just disappear?" Camicazi said as Nadia held me against the wall, then Ragna punched me in the stomach. I coughed hard and tried to get away._

" _There's no point in graduating, Astrid; who will be there to see it happen?" Nadia teased. "No parents. No home. No money. The Haddocks won't let you stay with them forever, and that job will get you nowhere in life except back on the streets," Ragna elbowed me in the face._

" _You'll likely die there anyway, so why prolong the inevitable?" Camicazi inquired. "Give up, Astrid. There's nothing left for you in this life," I lowered my head, eyes closed, and feeling utterly defeated. Nadia punched me in the side, and I winced. After five minutes of them beating on me; all I could do was stay on the floor, in a pummeled heap. Why was I still here?_

" _You don't mean anything to anyone anymore, you dumb bitch," Ragna said, crouching in front of me and lifting my face a little. "Those people aren't your friends; it's just guilt. If they cared, why didn't they step in to help you before we ditched you? Why didn't Hiccup do anything when you lost your parents? Hiccup has everything you did, and more because he's the mayor's son now. He's only helping you because he's carrying the image of a good guy for his dad. It's all for the show. Nobody cares about you; you're just a broke, homeless, orphan who people are taking pity on. Don't ever forget that you have nothing, and you are nothing,"_

 _Ragna, Nadia, and Camicazi left. I didn't move; it hurt too much, and I finally let tears fall. I couldn't do this anymore; I refused to keep trying. I was sick of being bullied by those six assholes. I'm tired of feeling so depressed and alone. The girls were right; I have nothing, and I am nothing. So why should I keep going? No, I am done._

 _ **/End Flashback/**_

I didn't say anything after what happened in the locker room. I picked myself up, splashed my face, looked presentable, and joined the others. I was silent in Algebra and lunch. Since then, I've been on the roof of the academy. Hiccup asked where I was for Science, and I never answered him. I've just been standing up here all this time, contemplating how to end things. I had to do it here; Hiccup wouldn't let me out of his sight at work or home. I just wanted it to be over, something quick and painless. Overdosing might have been the best choice, but I have no access to any of that, so jumping was my only choice. I've been up here since a little before lunch ended. At first, I just sat on the roof crying, but going on 2 pm; I finally got up and stood to stare down at the drop. Archian Preparatory was three stories high, so the fall would kill me for sure. I didn't want to live this life anymore. I closed my eyes.

"Oh, my Gods!" someone yelled.

 _=Normal POV=_

"There's someone up there!" another voice said. Astrid's eyes opened as she looked down seeing people beginning to gather. One of the first people she was able to make out was Adelaide, Snotlout's little sister, who looked terrified at the scene.

"Someone call 911," a teacher demanded. Adelaide whipped out her phone and called her brother.

"Snotlout, Astrid's on the roof of the school!" Adelaide informed him. "I think she's going to jump. A teacher is already calling 911. Call Uncle Stoick and Aunt Valka!" after that; she hung up and stayed put. On the dragon training field, Snotlout lowered his phone.

"Who was that?" Dagur asked.

"Del, she said Astrid's on the roof of the school and thinks she's gonna jump off," Snotlout said quickly. "911 is already being called,"

"Let's go," Minden urged them. Quickly, the friends hurried off, and soon after them was the five popular teenagers wondering what was going in, but they had a pretty decent idea and know wanted to know if Astrid would actually go through with it.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:10 pm}**_

Hiccup arrived and looked around curiously. "Where is everyone?"

"Astrid!" Hiccup heard his father's voice call when he arrived on the DT field and didn't see his students.

 _What is going on?_ Hiccup thought curiously. _Why is my dad here?_

"Sweetie, don't do this, please!" And that would be his mother's voice.

 _Why is my mom here?!_ Hiccup panicked.

"Come on; there's no need to do this, Astrid. Come down, and we can talk," Mr. Throk Wington, the school psychologist, shouted. Hiccup didn't like that at all. What was Astrid doing that had the counselor, and his parents telling her not to do? Whistling for Toothless, the Night Fury bounded over, and Hiccup jumped on his back, heading into the sky from behind the school. Arriving, fear struck him as Hiccup saw Astrid shake her head to the others; then step off the edge, eyes closed.

"Astrid! No!" Hiccup called out. "Go, bud!" he rushed his Night Fury. Astrid began falling as Toothless bounded over the edge and flew straight down in a dive bomb with Hiccup on his back.

"He'll never make it," Heather gasped, covering her mouth.

"Hiccup will be fine; he knows how to fly," Dagur assured. "And something tells me I know exactly what move he'll pull, though, incredibly dangerous..."

"Even if he does; he'll never be able to pull out of a dive that fast," Fishlegs squeaked. The speed at which Toothless diving caused a loud whistle to emit.

"He'll be okay," Stoick told the others.

"Toothless, you know what to do!" Hiccup called. Toothless narrowed his eyes almost and gave a firm nod. Everyone watched in fear as Toothless got closer to Astrid. Many held their breath as they neared the ground. "Close 'em, bud!" Hiccup told his dragon. At the last second; Toothless closed his wings to gain more speed and began falling faster than Astrid did. Hiccup let go of the handles on Toothless's saddle. "Now, Toothless!" and Toothless spread his wings and took a sharp curve to level out and swoop under Astrid as Hiccup caught her in his arms. Almost immediately after the catch in one fluid motion; Toothless sailed inches over the ground but never crashed. Toothless came back around and landed carefully; Hiccup was on his back and Astrid in Hiccup's lap, him holding her with his arms in bridal style.

"Oh, Thank the Gods," Valka breathed with some relief.

"Well done, son," Stoick stated as he and Valka approached. Astrid opened her eyes slowly, looking around and then realizing she had jumped and Hiccup caught her with Toothless. Hiccup climbed off Toothless, then carefully set Astrid down. Hiccup looked anything but happy with her at the moment.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Hiccup scolded. Astrid was taken aback by the anger, and oddly enough; she saw Valka, Stoick, Spitelout, Alvin, even the other friends step back a little. Weren't they going to tell Hiccup to stop? Astrid bit her bottom lip nervously. "Answer me, Astrid! What the fuck do you think you were doing trying to kill yourself!"

"I-I just didn't want to be alive anymore…I'm sick of living the way I do every day. No parents, no home, even with a job, no money…I can't deal with the endless bullying…I want to die to get away from the pain I feel day in and day out; there's no end to it, Hiccup…And I don't see a reason to stay. It's like I'm alive but my heart is dead…" Astrid began to cry again. "I don't have anything left, and feel like I'm nothing…"

"You're something alright," Hiccup remarked. "You're a damn idiot if that's what you've chosen to believe about yourself," he added as Astrid looked at him quickly, and in shock. "And you're stupid if you think killing yourself is going to make the pain stop,"

"Hiccup, ease up…That's not going to make her feel any better," Valka tried.

"No. I'm not easing up, Mom. She doesn't need to feel better right now; she needs a wake-up call," Hiccup glared.

"Let him do his thing, Val," Alvin sighed.

"How can you say you have nothing?! And don't even tell me all the things you said before. Yes, you lost your parents and the house you lived in. There are a few legal problems that prevented you from collecting what was in the will for you. But to say you absolutely nothing? You're wrong, Astrid," Hiccup told her.

"How am I wrong…What do I still have?" Astrid sniffled.

"Uh…How about the fact you are still alive?" Hiccup countered. "The fact you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, the air in your lungs, blood in your veins, and a heart that's still beating? All that are things you still have. How can you think the right thing to make the pain stop is for you to die? If you were meant to be dead, Astrid; you would be already!"

Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "What?"

"Your parents weren't killed in an accidental fire, Astrid; they were stuck in that house on purpose. And if you recall; you were supposed to be home that night too. You snuck out to go to a party and didn't share the same unfortunate fate they did. If you had been home; you'd be gone with them. You survived, Astrid. Want another example? How about the night you got attacked in January? Pretty sure if no one had shown up to stop that; the result would have been you getting killed. You survived that. What about nearly getting run down? I stopped that, and I was the farthest person away when it happened. I felt like something wasn't right, so I rushed back. How can you tell me that you want to die when there have been so many instances that you could have been killed and survived!"

"I was being targeted, and got lucky," Astrid said softly.

"Call it coincidence, luck, or whatever you want, Astrid, but the fact doesn't change that if you were meant to be dead; you would be! Taking your own life isn't going to make the pain stop; it's just going to pass it along to the next person," Hiccup told her.

"Like who? I don't have any family left…" Astrid looked down.

"What about my parents? My dad was your father's best friend, and he promised to take care of you if your parents ever died. What about our friends, or did you forget you have those again? They're the ones who look scared after seeing you jump off that roof. They care about you. And what about me, Astrid? I care, and I would be extremely hurt if you were gone. You have so many people who care about you, but you think you have nothing. You have all those things I said before. I lost you once, and I have waited years to have my friend back. You're my best friend-," Toothless snorted and warbled at him. "Oh, excuse me, your majesty. Okay, best human friend. And all the others know it too. No one has ever taken your place. For Odin's sake, Astrid; I JUST GOT YOU BACK. I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!" Hiccup yelled at her.

Astrid's eyes widened again, shocked at Hiccup's confession. Suddenly, she was overcome with guilt for trying to kill herself when she did have so many things still. Maybe it wasn't all of them, like her parents, and old home, but she was still alive and had been spared from dying several times since the death of her parents. And enough people cared for her; Hiccup was an example: being her friendly bodyguard and risking his life for her. Hiccup was entirely right. And here she was trying to kill herself on the grounds she let others get in her head. Gods, she was an idiot. The area was silent, and Astrid only felt stupid and embarrassed. Astrid's eyes watered, tears slipping from them.

"I'm sorry…I-I just didn't know what else to do…" Astrid whimpered as he knees gave out so she could hit them, but Toothless got behind her and made it so she couldn't. And then Toothless did one better by bumping Astrid into Hiccup's arms, which he wrapped around her. Astrid sobbed entirely now, clutching the front of Hiccup's shirt, and hiding her face from view.

"Astrid, I promise you that living your life no matter what good or bad comes is better than having no life at all. We only get this one life; you can't waste it. I know things are hard with your parents gone, and that you lost your home, and things with the will are messed up. But through some of that loss, you have gained too. I know you're upset, and I know you don't know how to handle it, or what to do, but you forget one thing," Hiccup said pulling from the hug and lifting her chin up. "You're not alone; you don't have to deal with this by yourself. You have my parents, our friends…Me even. We will help, but you have to talk to us and say when something is wrong. Remember that, please?" Hiccup said.

"I will…" Astrid managed through her cracked voice.

Hiccup hugged her again, and she returned it. "I lost you once; I can't lose you again, Ast. You mean a lot to me, stupid. Promise me that you will never do something like this again, please?" he pleaded softly in a whisper only she heard.

"I promise," Astrid replied.

"There will always be a reason to keep living. You've survived everything thrown at you, so you are here for a reason. Even if you don't know what reason that is; there is one. Every time that you wake up breathing. Every time you close your eyes. Every day that your heart keeps beating; there's purpose for your life. So don't give up, don't lay down; just hold on, don't quit now. Every breath that you take has meaning; you are here for a reason," Hiccup informed calmly. Astrid only nodded, staying in Hiccup's arms. Hiccup felt a hand on his back as he turned his head slightly to see his father there, just giving an approving smile. Hiccup nodded to him, then Stoick stepped back with his wife.


	37. Responsible

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The Responsible Party

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, March 4, 2022-2:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

I didn't know what was wrong with me. How could I have even considered that killing myself would solve my problems? It wouldn't. Hiccup said to me; it would just pass them to the next person in line. And I had a strong feeling that it would go to Hiccup, his friends, and his family. When I let myself fall from the roof of the school, which is about three stories high; I heard Hiccup call for me. I didn't understand it at first because Hiccup wasn't one of the people down on the ground trying to get me to stop like Valka, Stoick, Spitelout, and a bunch of others. However, just like when that guy almost ran me down in the parking lot and Hiccup was the farthest person away; he somehow saved me. Hiccup had Toothless divebomb to catch me, and it was close to the ground, but Hiccup did it. If I hadn't been so upset with wanting to die; I would have probably said that it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Something else I had not expected was for everyone to take a few steps back and let Hiccup scold me the way he did. At the same time; I felt no one would be able to stop Hiccup from literally screaming some sense into me.

A lot of what Hiccup said hit me hard, but Hiccup wasn't wrong either. And the most meaningful thing I heard was Hiccup telling me that he just got me back, and he didn't want to lose me again. Aside from that, only moments ago, Hiccup told me that I mean a lot to him, and made me promise never to do something like this again. And by the Gods; I would not. No matter how bad it got; I wouldn't try to kill myself. I could see now after that verbal kick in the ass that maybe I didn't have my parents or my home and car, but I had people here who loved and cared about me. Hiccup went on about being here for me, and that I didn't have to do this alone. And he was right. I wasn't alone anymore, maybe I was after Eret, and the others ditched me, but not now. Hiccup was right about everything he mentioned; all the things I still had. I should never have believed that throwing it all away would make it better. After Hiccup said all those things to me; I felt weak and nearly fell. Toothless made it so I wouldn't, and then he nudged me into Hiccup's arms where I let go and just cried.

I was still like this, crying against Hiccup's chest and keeping my face hidden from sight while he held me. The teachers had dispersed anyone who gathered, and all that remained were Hiccup's parents, uncles, and the Dragon Training class which Hiccup led from 2 pm to 3 pm. The counselor, Throk Wington, and Mr. Meatsen were here too, but that had to be because I just tried to kill myself, and they wanted to know why. Sadly, the most comfort I'd felt since losing my parents was right now in Hiccup's arms; I didn't want to leave the embrace. I felt Hiccup's arms shift, and move to my shoulders, pushing me back a little until I was looking at him.

"Hey, hey…It's alright," Hiccup soothed.

I shook my head. "I'm an idiot," I whimpered, sniffling.

"Yeah, you are," Hiccup stated calmly as I looked down more. Hiccup lifted my chin up so I'd be looking at him again. "But you're only a teenager, and we all do dumb shit and make awful choices during different phases of life, Astrid. I know things are hard right now, but it's going to be okay. You gotta keep pushing through, and sooner or later; you'll become the person you're meant to be. This is how we learn who we are, so don't beat yourself up over one little mistake; it's part of growing up. It won't be like this forever; this is just a storm, and they run out of rain. Trust me; you're going to be fine with time," Hiccup smiled a little, using his thumb to wipe my tears away.

"I believe and trust you," I managed softly.

"Good. Now, go with Mom and Dad to talk to Mr. Wington, Mr. Meatsen, and I'm sure Chief Jorgenson. I'll see you tonight," Hiccup stated.

"Wh-What about work?" I wondered.

"I'll find a cover, but you're in no shape to work tonight, Astrid," Hiccup informed.

"A-And class?" I tried.

"You live with me; I'm sure I can find some time this weekend to run over what you missed today," Hiccup said.

"That's hardly fair to the rest of us who have lost the first half an hour because of Astrid's meltdown," Camicazi remarked.

"And Odin knows that Snotlout, Minden, Heather, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut will be allowed to catch up as well this weekend," Thuggory huffed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You're welcome to stay after school today until 3:30 to get that extra half an hour," Hiccup enlightened.

"Why should we have to give up our time after school to learn something that the others don't have to abide by?" Ragna scoffed.

"Because the six of you aren't allowed at my house," Hiccup said openly, not caring. "And I gave you those reasons with witnesses present. However, if you'd like to explain to your parents why and what my terms of you being there are; then be my guest," Hiccup invited. I saw what Hiccup was doing, and being honest; it was a little scary. I've never seen him like this before, but I could tell he was testing the populars to push him. Hiccup knew they wouldn't own up to what happened at the surprise party to get them banned from his house unless their parents were present.

"Dad, tell Hiccup that he can't give private lessons," Thuggory told his father, Mogadon.

"What I do on my time is my business," Hiccup stated.

"While I would agree with you, Hiccup…Unfortunately, if you're training half your students at home; that's not fair to the rest who would be getting denied a chance to hold the same knowledge. If you are going to teach Miss. Hofferson, and your other students at your residence when they miss something, then you need to do the same for all," Mogadon informed.

"I will do n-," Hiccup started as Stoick clamped a hand over his mouth and laughed nervously.

"What he means is that it's fine," Stoick said quickly. I saw Hiccup's eyes widen as he struggled to get free from his father. Hiccup finally pulled his father's hand down.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Keeping you from getting in trouble," Stoick whispered. Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest, glaring. "It will be fine, Mogadon. Why don't they come over tomorrow afternoon? I know Hiccup has work tonight," Before Mogadon could answer, Hiccup's phone rang. Hiccup put it to his ear.

"What?" Hiccup asked. "You run this by Johann and see if he's cool with it?" a pause. "That still leaves no opener or closer for Saturday and Sunday," Hiccup said as I watched him start rubbing his eyes with his fingers, then sigh. "You know what…I don't have Runa this weekend; she's with her grandparents on Liv's side. I'll take the weekend days and nights," another pause. "I'll be fine. Oh, and Astrid isn't coming in tonight either due to personal reasons," he added, then hung up.

"What was that all about?" Valka asked.

"Work-related situation. I now have tonight off, and I'm working doubles Saturday and Sunday," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, no. It's too much. You can't work 8:30 am to 10:30 pm two days straight," Stoick told him.

"I'm eighteen; I'm allowed to work whatever hours I want now, and I'm the manager," Hiccup said.

"So, this makeup lesson?" Nadia wondered.

"Your dad already said we could come to the house," Eret grinned a little.

"Keep fucking pushing me…" Hiccup glared.

"Hiccup Haddock!" Stoick warned.

"What, Dad? I'm not gonna sugarcoat it for them. I don't want them over, and you saw why a couple of weeks ago. That is an everyday occurrence, and I'm sick of it. Tell me, Dad, when does it stop? How much more abuse do you want me to suffer? Because to be completely honest; I'm not sure how much more I can take," Hiccup admitted. I felt bad; I could tell he was trying to stay in control of his anger, but it wasn't going to hold for very long.

"Hiccup, it's only an hour of dragon training…" Valka tried.

"I don't care. It's an unnecessary hour that I have to spend with them at the house. I said I'd tolerate it here at school, not at home," Hiccup retorted. "And you know; I'm starting to think I can't deal with it for an hour here either…"

"What are you saying?" Mogadon asked.

"I'm stating that maybe you should consider looking for someone else immediately," Hiccup remarked as me, and a few others gasped. "Because I quit,"

"Hiccup, come now; there's no reason to do this," Mogadon insisted. "I selected you because I know you can do it, and ensure these students get the knowledge they need to be successful trainers and riders,"

"And you picked someone who is bullied day in and day out by those five right there," Hiccup pointed to Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna. "Sure, maybe they listen in class, but what about the rest of the day? And for the record; I never said I'd train my friends at home. I offered to stay after and give the lesson then; they are the ones who caused all this because they are pissed I banned them from my house for being inconsiderate douchebags. Tell me again why I should have to deal with people like that? I shouldn't, and I refuse," Hiccup informed.

"Hiccup! Please? I can't find someone else on such short notice…You were hard enough to get in the first place because I couldn't find anyone. They will all fall behind and won't be ready for the trainer and flying exams in June…Please reconsider?" Mogadon begged.

"Can I remind you that they purposely riled up a Monstrous Nightmare to get me removed as the dragon trainer in the start of the year over jealousy? Why should I have to subject myself to the chance of it happening again the next time they get jealous? I refuse. Find someone else to take the abuse because I am done," Hiccup told him. I couldn't believe it; Hiccup was quitting as the head trainer because he truly didn't want them at Haddock Manor.

"Don't you care if your friends end up failing too?" Thuggory asked. Hiccup laughed a little.

"The sad part is that they wouldn't," Hiccup said.

"If you quit, then they lose you as a teacher too," Ragna accused.

"Me quitting as the trainer here doesn't erase my status as a legal dragon trainer for Archia Isle. Students here would lose me as a teacher, but I can train anyone anywhere. Location doesn't matter. Therefore, while Mr. Meatsen is looking for a new trainer for you five; I can still train my friends off campus at my house. So no, they wouldn't fall behind or fail. I'd never leave my friends like that, abandoning them when they need me during a crucial time," Hiccup said.

"Son, we didn't raise you to be this way…" Valka frowned.

"Yeah, well, sorry, Mom. You might have raised me to be a nice guy, but I'm sick of being a doormat. I've been _kind_ too long to those six, and each time I do…They throw it in my face days later. I'm done with it," Hiccup remarked. "Snot, Minden, Legs, Tuff, Ruff, Heather…You six are more than welcome to come over around 4 pm, and I will continue to train you," Hiccup added.

"It's Friday night, where else would we be?" Heather smiled. Hiccup faced Mogadon now.

"Sorry things had to be this way, Mr. Meatsen. My friends and I will leave campus at 2 pm, and then I will continue their training, privately," Hiccup said. "I wish you the best of luck finding someone to deal with them," he added. "Mom, Dad, Astrid; I'll meet you at home," Hiccup put his leg over the saddle, opened the tail, and launched into the sky with a roar from his Night Fury. I still couldn't believe it; Hiccup quit being the head trainer to get back at the populars. I knew it was about revenge because he was still going to train his friends off campus.

"There will be no getting him to change his mind, will there be?" Mogadon sighed, defeated. I saw Thuggory, Nadia, Eret, Ragna, and Camicazi looking nervous and worried almost that Hiccup quit and Mogadon possibly being unable to find a replacement trainer on short notice meant they would fall severely behind, and fail their trainer and flyer tests at the end of the year. It meant that they could own their dragon, but not train or fly until they passed. And if they failed during the school year; they would have to repeat everything from September all over again at an outside school. Hiccup was by far the best trainer on the island because of his skill level with dragons. I'd found articles about Hiccup's training days, and what other professionals have said about him.

Having someone else come in to pick up where Hiccup left off would be about as useful as when Dagur was training us in Hiccup's absence after the Nightmare incident. Dagur fully admitted that while he was qualified to be a dragon trainer; he didn't know everything that Hiccup did, and Hiccup was the one who taught him everything he knew now about dragon riding and training.

"Unfortunately…No. When Hiccup has his mind made up about things; there is usually no changing it," Spitelout interjected.

"I-I don't know what to do…" Mogadon leaned against the building now, clearly panicking on how to handle the matter. "I-I had asked Hiccup at the end of Junior Year if he'd be the trainer for Senior Year, and spent all summer with the board of education on how to allow a seventeen-year-old to teach the class because I couldn't find anyone else…Sadly, no one wants to train high schoolers…"

"Dagur…Can't you-," Valka began.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Haddock. I don't believe I can be the trainer here after how they've all treated Hiccup over the years," Dagur said firmly. "He doesn't deserve what he gets from them, and I don't blame Hiccup one bit for being fed up and quitting,"

"We'll talk to Hiccup, and see if we can get him to change his mind," Stoick sighed. "Come along, Astrid," he added. "We'll also need to have a word about all this too," he said, and I knew that was a reference to me jumping off the roof. I'd be dead right now if it hadn't been for Hiccup. I nodded and began to follow them as everyone was dispersing.

"I just have to get my stuff from the locker," I told him; he nodded, and I rushed back into the school.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:35 pm}**_

 _ **(A-Hall Lockers)**_

I ignored a lot of the looks I got, and the whispers I heard while I hurried inside to my locker. I grabbed my bag, books, and other things before shutting it to see Eret, Gruffnut, Nadia, Thuggory, Ragna, and Camicazi around me.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly, not making eye contact.

"You better not tell anyone about earlier," Camicazi warned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.

"You know what, bitch!" Nadia glared. Of course, I knew what it was about; the girls jumping me in the locker room at the gym and telling me that I should die. It's why I was on the roof, to kill myself. I could tell this whole thing now was because they didn't want me telling anyone that it was their fault for putting me in a state of mind where I wanted to die.

"Oh, you mean when you three beat the shit out of me in the locker room and told me that nobody wants me around. And put it in my head to kill myself?" I snarked hatefully.

Camicazi elbowed me in the side as I winced a little. "Yeah, that. You're gonna keep your mouth shut and tell anyone who asks that you let your depression take over. Or you're gonna wish Hiccup didn't catch you in time earlier," Ragna punched me in the stomach. I cringed and panted a little. "We're watching you," she said before the six of them walked away. I took a few moments to catch my breath, then moved to meet Stoick and Valka out front.

 _=Normal POV=_

Unknown to Astrid, a pair of green eyes hadn't been far away and watched the scene and had heard everything. The green eyes belonged to none other than Hiccup, who came inside to collect his books and notes from other classes to do his homework tonight.

 _So, they're the ones who are responsible for Astrid's meltdown. Astrid never wanted to end her life before those fuckers put it in her head, and now they're threatening her if she tells anyone what happened?_ Hiccup thought while feeling shocked and pissed off that he knew the truth now. Hiccup had enough of it, and it was time he did something in retaliation.


	38. Play Catch Up

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Play Catch Up

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Monday, March 7, 2022-7:15 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

Three days had passed since Astrid's attempt to kill herself by jumping off the roof of Archian Preparatory, and had it not been for Hiccup's insane rescue dive with Toothless; Astrid might have succeeded. However, as Hiccup came to learn at the end of the day when he went to get a few things from his locker; Astrid never wanted to commit suicide until the populars put it in her head that things would be better if she were gone. Hiccup knew he could handle things one of two ways. First, Hiccup could get Astrid to tell Mr. Meatsen, or even Chief Jorgenson that the populars pushed her to such a low state of mind. Or, Hiccup could get revenge on them for all they'd done to Astrid since she lost her parents in November, and then was abandoned by the people she thought were her friends in December. It was now the second week of March in the year 2022; three months to go until the Senior Class would graduate, and leave the halls of Archian Prep forever. Hiccup knew the simplest solution was to tell the authorities, and yet; Hiccup felt that this called for something worse than legal justice served. No, Hiccup wanted to do something that would give them a taste of their own medicine.

After arriving home on the 4th, Stoick and Valka tried to sit down with Astrid to get her to talk about what happened. Hiccup hoped Astrid would tell them the truth, but hearing Astrid speak about how sad she'd been feeling; Hiccup suspected that perhaps Astrid already felt a bit suicidal because of everything that had happened. Astrid confessed that before Hiccup saved her the night of the snowstorm and made her come home with him; she wanted to die because of all she had to go through since losing her parents. However, this didn't alter Hiccup's decision to get back at the popular crew for whatever they did to Astrid on Friday the 4th of March. It was clear they had some hand in pushing Astrid over the edge as the six of them confronted Astrid to keep her mouth shut about whatever happened earlier in the day. Hiccup knew Astrid likely wouldn't tell him because she was afraid of the information getting out and her getting bullied again. On that note too; Hiccup still refused to return as the dragon trainer. Stoick and Valka tried, even Gobber, but Hiccup wouldn't budge on his choice. Mogadon was nervous because he knew that March through May until Finals was the most imperative time of the dragon training program.

March through May was all flying and laws of the sky regarding dragon riding. Things that they would need to know to pass their Final Exam in Dragon Training, and obtain their flier/trainer licenses. Dagur had been Mogadon's hope, but Dague also refused because he didn't agree with what Hiccup had to go through on a weekly basis. Also, Dagur admitted that he didn't know everything Hiccup did about dragons. Hiccup said he would take his friends at 2 pm from Archian Prep and train only them at his house so that they wouldn't fall behind in lessons. Hiccup wouldn't punish them for the mistakes of five popular, over-privileged jerks. Right now, Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna had only missed one day of class, and that was Friday the 4th. With it being Monday now; they would begin missing out on the crucial information. Astrid and Hiccup arrived at the school at 7 am with the Jeep, and went to get their things from the lockers. Mogadon asked Hiccup to go with him and talk, and this left Astrid alone to wait for him.

Astrid sighed as she leaned against the wall of the main office to wait for Hiccup to come out. Unfortunately, she soon discovered the populars walking, and only assumed that she wouldn't be alone much longer. Astrid put her head down, looking at her phone to avoid them.

"Hey," Ragna greeted, shoving into her. "Oops, sorry. Didn't see you," she snickered.

"I-It's fine…" Astrid said quietly.

"Look at you, so obedient and scared all the time," Gruffnut scoffed.

"I can't believe we were ever friends with you," Thuggory added. Astrid didn't say anything, and unknown to her Hiccup was hiding around the corner with his phone out, capturing the entire scene.

"We're talking to you, bitch," Nadia pushes Astrid against the wall.

"Well, maybe I don't feel like talking back," Astrid muttered.

"Too bad. You're gonna do something for us," Eret remarked.

"Why should I do anything for you?" Astrid asked. "You cheated on me for four months, and the rest of you abandoned me," she huffed. "You claimed to Hiccup we were real friends, and in the end; it turned out he was right. You're nothing but a bunch of fakes," Camicazi elbowed Astrid in the gut, and she grit her teeth trying to ignore the pain.

"Hiccup is pretty fond of you, so you're gonna convince him to come back as the dragon trainer," Camicazi demanded.

"He won't do it," Astrid said. "His parents and uncle tried all weekend,"

"Yeah, well you haven't, and you're going to," Thuggory stated. "My dad is all stressed out about us falling behind, and you know if we don't pass here; then we have to repeat everything from the start of the year at an outside location,"

"That's your fault for bullying Hiccup out of jealousy!" Astrid retorted. Ragna banged into Astrid, making her hit the wall, and she winced.

"Make him come back; he'll listen to you," Gruffnut said.

"No, because I agree with Hiccup; he shouldn't have to deal with it. Hiccup doesn't deserve all you've done to him when he's never wronged any of you!" Astrid defended quickly, taking Hiccup by surprise. "He even protected you at the start of the year, when you ticked off Hookfang. Hiccup could have let the Nightmare attack the person who did it, and he could have pressed charges, but he didn't because he's a good guy! Hiccup let us stay with him instead of throwing us into the blizzard because he's a good guy. Hiccup hasn't done anything to any of you, so no. I won't try to convince him to come back and subject himself to your abuse!"

"Stupid little bitch. Didn't you learn anything last Friday in the locker room?!" Nadia scolded as she socked Astrid in the stomach, making her gasp out. "We told you that nobody wants you around, and you aren't proving anything to anyone by staying,"

"Leave, Astrid. You got nothing left. Your parents are dead; you lost your home, your car, fortune…After high school, all your _friends_ will go about their lives and abandon you. They only stepped up because they feel bad; they don't care about you any more than we do," Camicazi smirked. Astrid lowered her head and Hiccup knew it was time to stop this, and he had all he needed on video now. Hiccup put his phone and away walked up, shoving the males back.

"Back off her," Hiccup warned.

"This is nothing to do with you," Thuggory said.

"Oh? From where I was standing you're trying to make her convince me to come back and train you about dragons," Hiccup informed. "So it seems that this whole thing is about me. I'm not coming back, and you acting this way for no reason is exactly why. Maybe you, Thuggory, should go tell your dad the real reasons I quit the trainer job instead of acting innocent like you've done nothing wrong,"

"We haven't done anything," Gruffnut stated.

"You honestly believe that? I say we revisit my birthday party where I warned you to back off; I wouldn't advise you to test me because you never know who is watching and might catch what you're doing; then turn it in. I'm not coming back to train you five; it would take a miracle even to get me to consider it, and you are proving that you're sorry for the things you've done. But I refuse to train you as you are now. "Come on, Astrid," he led her away to their first class.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:25 am}**_

 _ **(B-Hall; History Class)**_

Entering the classroom, Astrid took a seat and sighed heavily. "Are you okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah…Yeah, I'm fine, Hiccup. Thanks for…Stepping in back there," Astrid stated softly.

"You're welcome; I said you'd be safe with me. I'm sorry I didn't come before they started getting physical; I wanted the video proof that they did it to you to make me come back," Hiccup sighed.

"Don't worry about it; I'm okay…" Astrid smiled some.

"Astrid…Last Friday…What happened in the locker room?" Hiccup inquired. Astrid tensed a little.

"N-Nothing; they were just…Talking shit," Astrid lied. Of course, Hiccup knew better, and it's when Gruffnut happened to walk in, and glare at her. Hiccup knew she wasn't telling the truth, and it's because she was afraid of what would happen if she told after being warned last Friday not to say anything.

"Snot, keep an eye on Astrid for me," Hiccup told his cousin as Snotlout nodded.

"Where are you going?" Astrid asked.

"Bathroom," Hiccup told her as she nodded and Hiccup left the room. Out in the hallway, Hiccup moved to the restroom and pulled out his phone while checking to make sure he was alone in there. Hiccup pulled up a number and pressed the green button as he put it to his ear. "Hey, it's me. I have a task for you. Up for it?" he asked. A pause. "Good. I'll double the standard rate because I'm asking a lot; I need you to dig up as much dirt as you can in a week on six people," he stated. "I'll text you the information," he added, then ended the call. Hiccup sent the names of Eret Trapp, Camicazi Boggs, Nadia Warrier, Thuggory Meatsen, Gruffnut Thorston, and Ragna Falk in a text to the number he had called.

Satisfied that he provided his contact with everything he'd need; Hiccup exited the bathroom and went back to class just before the bell rang. Hiccup took his seat and got his things out for the first period; all he had to do now was wait for what he asked for.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Wednesday, March 9, 2022-6 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

It was finally her birthday! Eighteen years old at last, and somehow; she felt she was doing pretty okay given that she didn't have her parents to celebrate with her. Sure; it was still a semi-sad day, but Astrid was determined to try and stay positive. After getting up at 5:30 am, Astrid grabbed a shower, then got dressed, grabbed her bag before leaving the bedroom. Astrid hurried down the stairs to join the Haddocks and Gobber for breakfast, and upon entering she saw all her favorites as the rest of the family hadn't sat down yet, and were smiling at her.

"Happy 18th Birthday, Astrid!" Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Hiccup, who was holding Runa in his arms, announced. Astrid gasped, entirely surprised.

"Oh, thank you…" Astrid choked up a little.

"It was all my parents' idea," Hiccup said softly.

"You helped, son. You told the cook her favorites and reminded us that it was your birthday. I knew it was March, but I never remember the day," Stoick admitted.

Hiccup shrugged a bit, still feeding Runa her bottle but smiling. "We knew it might not be an easy day for you, so we thought to remind you that you're not alone," Hiccup said. Astrid wanted to cry, but she wouldn't. Instead, Stoick, Valka, and Gobber hugged her; then Hiccup managed to do the same with one arm. "Come on, let's eat breakfast," Hiccup told her. Astrid nodded, still grateful as she sat down and began eating with the others.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:50 am}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Archian Preparatory)**_

Astrid was very surprised about the mini-celebrating this morning with Hiccup's parents, Gobber, Runa, and Hiccup. It was something that she had not expected and made the start of her day just a bit happier. Arriving at school, Astrid hoped the rest of the day would be just as good. Hiccup knew he did a good thing and was glad to see Astrid smile. Unknown to her; Hiccup was planning something for her birthday, but it wouldn't happen today. Hiccup was working on a party for Friday night when their friends would be over, and they could enjoy the weekend hanging out and making sure Astrid had a great time. Right now; it's lunch hour, and Dagur was bringing in cupcakes for just their table to enjoy as a small celebration for the actual day of Astrid's birth.

"I'll meet you in there; I'm going to use the bathroom first," Astrid told Hiccup as he nodded. His spot in the cafeteria allowed him to see if anyone slipped into the bathroom after she went in; his way of protecting her in a place he wasn't able to be in without good reason. It worked out that she wasn't going to be at the table because Dagur arrived with the cupcakes, and he would be joining them for lunch. In the bathroom; Astrid immediately came face to face with the populars.

"You know how much trouble they'll be in if they are caught in here," Astrid stated.

"Whatever," Gruffnut said. "Hiccup can't save you in here," Astrid tensed a little as the girls backed her into a corner while Eret, Thuggory, and Gruffnut took turns keeping a watch for anyone coming.

"Get her phone," Camicazi said as Nadia got it then threw the device on the floor.

"No!" Astrid pleaded. The others laughed at the desperation. "Please?! Please, I don't care what you do to me…But don't ruin it…Please!"

"What's so special about it?" Nadia snickered.

"I-It has the last messages from my parents…Before they died. Please…Please don't break it…" Astrid begged. Smirking, Camicazi and Nadia held her back as Ragna proceeded to smash it several more times until the screen cracked and broke beyond use. Astrid's eyes widened as tears began falling from her eyes.

"Pathetic!" Ragna socked Astrid in the stomach, and then the other two girls joined in.

"Don't mark up her face," Thuggory reminded. Astrid did what she could to defend herself from the assault, but seeing her destroyed phone made it hard to stay strong.

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:05 pm}**_

The girls stopped beating on her when Eret warned that Heather was coming towards the bathroom with Minden and Ruffnut. The populars made a quick escape into the boys' bathroom across the entrance from the girls'. The three girls walked inside as Heather almost screamed seeing Astrid barely conscious on the floor, crying while cradling her inoperable cell phone.

"Oh, my Gods! Astrid!?" Minden dropped down to check over her.

"Who did this!" Heather demanded. Astrid didn't reply, she just cried still and whimpered in pain as Ruffnut and Minden tried to help her up. Astrid knew if she said who did it; they would be furious and probably attack her again. When Astrid didn't answer, she called Hiccup as the three girls were sent by him to check on Astrid, who had been in the bathroom for fifteen minutes and wasn't answering messages from him.

" _What's up?"_ came Hiccup's voice.

"She got attacked in the restroom," Heather stated.

" _What?! I'm on my way…How bad?"_ Hiccup asked quickly.

" _Bad…"_ Heather said grimly. Seconds later, Hiccup managed to get inside the bathroom without being seen and ended the call as he laid eyes on Astrid's battered form. "She wouldn't answer when I asked who did it," Heather informed. Hiccup crouched in front of Astrid, inspecting the injuries closer and seeing the phone's mangled state.

"Astrid," Hiccup said, but Astrid wouldn't look at him. Hiccup lifted Astrid's chin up, making her look into his eyes. "Astrid, tell me who did this to you," Hiccup demanded.

"I-It doesn't…Matter…" Astrid forced out through her tears.

"Yes! Yes, it does, Astrid! I left you alone to use the bathroom, and this happened! You know that I need to be aware of who did this, so I know who to contact about actions to be taken," Hiccup hinted as Astrid sighed almost, wiping her eyes; she had forgotten that she's a target, and Hiccup is her protector for all intensive purposes. Hiccup needed to know to either contact his uncle, or Mr. Meatsen. "Tell me who did this, Astrid. Please?"

"Camicazi, Nadia, and Ragna did the physical. Eret, Thuggory, and Gruffnut kept watch…" Astrid lowered her head again. Hiccup clenched his fist until it cracked. The populars would not get away with this; Hiccup had enough of it. Hiccup stood up now.

"Take her to see Nurse Mala, and when she asks what happened; you can tell her bullies that she was unable to identify," Hiccup said.

"But we do know-," Ruffnut began as Hiccup stared.

"And I will deal with it, Ruff," Hiccup said moving to the door as he looked across to see the door to the boy's bathroom moving a little. "Take her, and say what I told you to," Heather, Ruffnut, and Minden nodded, helping Astrid up, out of the door, then down the hall to the nurse's office. Hiccup moved over to the boy's restroom, and opened the door fast, seeing the others back up quickly. "Usually people who want to avoid being caught will flee the scene or at least hide better and not make it so obvious,"

"W-We don't know what you're talking about, Hiccup," Ragna said.

"We came in here to have a little fun," Camicazi said, rubbing her rear against Thuggory's lower half. Thuggory put his hands on her hips, playing along.

"Right…" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You're all terrible liars, and maybe next time you plan to beat someone up; you hide your faces so they can't identify you. I know what you did to Astrid, and I hope you know that I won't be going to Mr. Meatsen about it. It's your lucky day, isn't it?"

They froze and eyed him carefully. "Y-You're not?" Gruffnut asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "No. There's no point because you'll lie your way out of it, and I have no proof other than Astrid's word. So, I'm not going to say anything about what happened in the girl's bathroom," he informed calmly. "As I said; I believe in Karma…And yours is coming soon," he put his hand on the handle with a slight chuckle that honestly scared the six popular students. "I can feel it," and then Hiccup walked out of the bathroom casually leaving the populars to wonder what he meant. Outside the door, while walking down the hall to the nurse's office, Hiccup put his phone to his ear. "It's me. How much have you found?"

" _Oh, I think you'll be pleased with my findings, Master Hiccup," came a somewhat cheerful voice. "I have a little bit on all of them,"_

"I'm looking forward to your results, Johann," Hiccup replied. "Meet me on the Archian Prep DT field at 2 pm with whatever you have," he added.

" _Will do,"_ the man, Johann, replied. Hiccup ended the call with a slight smirk, and hands in his pockets.

"It's time I help Karma catch up a bit," Hiccup said before moving into the nurse's office to check on Astrid.


	39. Let's Party

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Let's Party

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Wedesday, March 9, 2022-2 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

At the end of the day, Hiccup told his friends to help Astrid to his Jeep, and he would meet them there after getting a few things he forgot in the stables when he quit last Friday. Not arguing; the friends did what Hiccup asked while he wandered to the Dragon Training Field. Hiccup reached the stables and moved behind the back of it and slightly into the woods where the school cameras wouldn't pick him up.

"Johann," Hiccup said. There was some rustling as a man came out; he had brown hair, brown beard tied into a knot, and mustache. Also, there were blue-silvery eyes.

"Ah, Master Hiccup. So good to see you again, lad," Johann said.

"Likewise. You brought what I asked for?" Hiccup inquired. Johann opened his satchel, pulling out a yellow folder, and handing it to Hiccup.

"I trust it is the type of information you were looking for. I didn't have many chances to catch your targets," Johann stated. Hiccup flipped through the folder, and though there wasn't much; it would be enough to do what he was planning. Hiccup hid the folder away in his backpack and held his hand out to Johann.

"It will suffice," Hiccup said as Johann shook Hiccup's hand. "Excellent work as always; I knew I could count on you," he added.

"I'm pleased to hear that," Johann nodded as they pulled from the handshake.

"Payment for the task will come tonight at 6 pm," Hiccup stated.

"I look forward to it," Johann enlightened.

"Until next time, Johann," Hiccup remarked as he gave a whistle and Toothless came to his side. Hiccup threw his leg over the saddle. "Let's go, bud," Hiccup told his Night Fury. Toothless purred; then shot into the sky as Johann made his way into the shadows with a grin.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, March 11, 2022-11:55 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory Cafeteria)**_

On top of planning Astrid's 18th birthday party surprise, Hiccup was hard at work between his job and setting up the ultimate means of revenge on Eret, Nadia, Gruffnut, Thuggory, Camicazi, and Ragna that was sure to make them never doubt his ability to make things happen again. And today, Hiccup was setting it in motion. Hiccup carefully planned exactly how he was going to do things, but he wouldn't release all his blackmail at once; just a small taste of what he had to scare them and see if that worked to make them back off. Hiccup learned what upset Astrid more than the beating she took from the popular girls; they had destroyed her phone, and Astrid had messages on there from her parents. Hiccup had taken the phone from her, promising to salvage all he could. Astrid didn't have high hopes, but she let Hiccup try anyway. Of course, Hiccup managed to get everything back and put it all on a new phone he bought for her. Hiccup planned to give it to Astrid on her birthday and hoped she would like it.

Currently, it was the start of lunch hour, and Hiccup was ready with his first attack. Using his temporary phone that he got just for this situation; he prepared a mass message to go out to the entire senior class. When the time was right, he would press send and just watch everything unfold. Hiccup would destroy the phone when his work finished and make sure it couldn't get traced back to him. Hiccup sat with his friends, just waiting for the moment to strike. Hiccup saw the populars making their way to the cafeteria now as Hiccup pulled the phone out slightly but kept it under the table as he pulled up the message and hit the button. The message sent as he quickly hid the device and just sat back while a bunch of phones began to ding or vibrate with a new alert.

The room began to go quiet, murmuring, or laughing among themselves as they look at their phones. As the populars walked into the room to get at their table, people started laughing at them, pointing and whispering too. Hiccup relaxed a bit, waiting for it to happen.

"It's priceless…" someone whispered.

"Never knew cousin Gruff was like that," Ruffnut said, looking at her phone with Tuffnut.

"What are you losers going on about?" Gruffnut growled at them.

"Heh, guess he doesn't know he's the ass end of the joke," Hiccup said calmly with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You got nothing on me, Hiccup," Gruffnut stated coldly.

"Maybe not me, but everyone else does," Hiccup countered. Gruffnut glared at first; then more people began to talk.

"Who would have thought he'd be gay?" another giggled. Suddenly, Gruffnut's eyes widened.

"And such an obedient pussy too?" was said.

"No wonder he hangs around them; he'll do anything they say," came more laughter.

"And here we always thought he had a stick up his ass," someone said. Gruffnut bit his lower lip.

"No stick, just dick," more laughed.

Not understanding, Astrid looked at the screen of her phone finally. Instantly, her eyes widened in shock. What everyone was laughing a video collage of Gruffnut with another man, though, the second male's face was blurred and couldn't no one could identify who it was. There were pictures of Gruffnut making out, wearing a collar, dressed in barely anything and posing. There were even some of both males dressed, but the other one behind Gruffnut as Gruffnut had a pleasured look on his face, tongue out of his mouth, and enjoying what he was getting done to him. There were video clips, hearing the male tell Gruffnut what to do, and he'd listen and do it without arguing.

Astrid's eyes instantly went to Hiccup, who was the only one in the room who had a content, relaxing look on his face. _Did he have something to do with this?_ She wondered. Gruffnut quickly backed away from the remaining five popular students.

"Gruff? What's wrong?" Nadia asked. Gruffnut shook his head, still moving away as the laughter continued.

"Hey, dude!" Thuggory called to him.

"I-I gotta go," Gruffnut turned heel and ran out of the lunchroom as fast as he could.

 _One down, five to go._ Hiccup thought as he began eating his lunch. Astrid eyed him carefully but decided to let it go; Hiccup wouldn't have done something like that, would he?

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Prep; Main Office)**_

Gruffnut had not been seen since 12 pm. The group of populars tried to call and text him, but he refused to answer. However, none of them knew what happened to make Gruffnut leave so suddenly. Hiccup and his friends had left to do training at Hiccup's house as they had for an entire week now. The five remaining popular students were in a Study Hall until the principal, Mogadon Meatsen, thought of something to remedy the trainer situation, and as it was; he was still trying to get Hiccup to come back, but having no luck. At the moment, though, something else had been brought to Mr. Meatsen's attention, and he called Eret, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, and Camicazi to his office.

"I wonder why we're being called in…" Nadia wondered.

"You don't think Hiccup told Thug's dad about what we did to Hofferson on Wednesday, do you?" Ragna asked.

"He said he wouldn't," Eret stated.

"Yeah, well; I don't know what to make of Hiccup anymore," Camicazi shrugged.

"Every time we turn around; it's something new," Thuggory sighed. "Well, let's get this over with," he added while opening the door and the five of them walked in to see Mogadon waiting for them, and looking less than pleased. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"

"All five of you, in my office, now," Mogadon ordered. Nervously, the five of them moved into Mogadon's office and found a spot to stand as Mogadon closed the door and took his seat at the desk. "Do you five know why I called down here?"

"No, sir," they replied together. Mogadon turned the monitor of his computer towards them, then used his mouse to click play on the video he had up. It showed them cornering Astrid outside the office, giving her a hard time, and demanding she makes Hiccup come back as a trainer.

Instantly, the five knew they were in trouble because of someone recording what happened. "The worst part of this isn't even that Miss. Hofferson is being bullied by the six of you; it's that I didn't listen to Mr. Haddock when he said you were bullies and didn't want to deal with it anymore. Now I can see why he quit, and I am very disappointed in all of you. As well, I'm ashamed to have defended you and come to find out his accusations are very much true,"

"Now, there will be repercussions for this behavior. You are all suspended for a week, and upon returning, you will be serving five office detentions. During all this time; you will come up with suitable apologies to both Miss. Hofferson, and Mr. Haddock. Your parents have already been informed, and I will need to discuss with Stoick when would be an appropriate time to have you come by to deliver those apologies," Mogadon informed sternly. "And you will personally be asking Hiccup to return as the dragon trainer, and with any luck; he might agree,"

"Yes, father," Thuggory responded. The rest nodded.

"Wait, what about Gruffnut; he was in on it too," Eret said quickly.

"I'm afraid Mr. Thorston is no longer a student at this school," Mogadon informed, taking the five students entirely by surprise.

"D-Did he get expelled?" Camicazi asked softly.

"No. There was a humiliating situation earlier during lunch that caused Mr. Thorston to go to the Guidance Office, and drop out of Archian Preparatory. I'm afraid I don't know much about the matter, but as Gruffnut is over eighteen; he was free to leave when he wanted without parental consent," Mogadon stated.

"What was humiliating? We were with him and just ran off when people we laughing about something," Ragna asked. Mogadon sighed as he sat back in his chair.

"As I understand it; a video circulated the Senior Class at lunch showing Gruffnut's…Sexual Orientation as a Homosexual," Mogadon stated, shocking the teenagers. "Yes, and I believe that Gruffnut was not ready to…How do you kids say it these days? _Come out of the closet_?"

"What…Was the video? We never got anything?" Nadia inquired. Mogadon located the video on his computer and hit play as the five teens were able to see it clearly why everyone had been laughing at Gruffnut. Not only was Gruffnut gay, but very submissive, which was something they didn't expect from Gruffnut since he never acted that way around them.

"We don't know who sent the message out; it came from a number no one recognized," Mogadon stated. "Now, you're suspension begins Monday. I would advise you talk to all your teachers, and collect the assignments you will miss while you're gone," he added. Nodding, the teenagers left the office knowing their punishment.

"Who would have that kind of information?" Eret asked while they walked to their Study Hall room.

"Someone aiming to get back at him perhaps?" Nadia offered.

"Or at us…" Thuggory interjected. "Don't you think it's just a little odd that Gruffnut gets outed as a submissive gay at lunch, drops out, and then suddenly we're all in my dad's office to get smoked for bullying Astrid two days ago?"

"…Didn't Hiccup say to be careful because we never know who is watching and would turn it in?" Camicazi questioned. The five looked at one another a bit worried.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Hiccup would never go out of his way to do all this; he just wants us to back off Astrid," Ragna remarked.

"And he told us to leave him alone too, or he would start telling people things he knows about us…" Thuggory reminded.

"You know…Maybe this is a chance for us to…Try and redeem ourselves. You know we've already had to apologize to Hiccup once for the Nightmare thing," Camicazi suggested at they all looked at her confused.

"Are you serious?" Eret stared.

"Just…Hear me out, okay? We got busted once, and almost got Hiccup killed. And he got hurt to protect us when he didn't have to. Hiccup let us stay at his house for two days and was pretty…I don't know…Cool with us for how we've treated him," Camicazi continued.

"I get what you're saying, but I don't think it will be enough. We brought up his wife and daughter…That's why he flipped on us," Nadia stated.

"Well, we've got a couple of weeks to figure it out. We're suspended starting Monday, and then following that; we're serving detentions. Sadly, Hiccup's been right about a few things since we learned everything about him, and we have been mean for no reason…Hiccup never did anything to us," Thuggory reminded.

"We just turned into jerks," Ragna sighed. "Let's go finish off the day; then we can figure out how to handle this. It might be worth mentioning to your dad, Thug, that Hiccup refuses to let us over the house unless our parents are with us,"

"I'll let him know tonight," Thuggory nodded. After that, the five of them entered their Study Hall.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3 pm}**_

 _ **(Student Lot)**_

The five students miserably walked to the parking lot to leave the Archian High campus for the weekend, and then the whole of next week due to their suspension.

"Well, guess we'll try to stay in contact with our phones?" Eret asked.

"It's all we can do. I'm grounded," Camicazi sighed.

"Same," Nadia put up a finger.

"I'll third that," Thuggory added.

"I'm sure I'll hear it when I get home," Eret muttered.

"Two weeks for me," Ragna said. After that; they prepared to leave but stopped when all five of them got a text message. All five checked their phones to see a message from a number they didn't recognize. Individually, they checked what they had been sent. Camicazi saw a picture of herself taking a pregnancy test with the result as positive, also shots of her in the parking lot of a doctor's office holding a sonogram. Instantly, she bit her bottom lip. How could anyone have known she was pregnant? The scary part was seeing the message attached; _I wonder who the father is. Eret or Thuggory?_ Then she saw pictures of her at different times with both men in compromising situations.

Nadia opened her message to see pictures of her with Thuggory and Ragna making out. Her message read; _I wonder what your friends would do if they learned you're secretly bisexual and have done things with Ragna._

Eret opened his message to see pictures of him with Camicazi in compromising situations and the words underneath reading; _Oh, I bet Thuggory, your best friend, would love to know you're sleeping with his girlfriend? I wonder how he'd take it?_ Eret gulped a little, staring at it.

Ragna saw pictures of her with and Nadia, almost nude, making out, and feeling one another up; she paled almost. _Wouldn't Eret like to know that you are into girls, and only slept with him to try and convince yourself that you aren't a lesbian. Also that you've been making out with his best friend?_

Finally, Thuggory looked at his phone screen, shocked to see what was there. Pictures of him and Nadia borderline having sex at school. _I wouldn't want to see what happens when your girlfriend would do if she saw you fucking Nadia on school grounds. Oh, or maybe your dad would like to know about that?_ Thuggory tensed a bit. All five of them looked at one another but never saying what they saw in their messages. About a minute later, they all got another message at the same time.

 **298-014-3015[3:07 pm]  
** _ **I took the liberty of messaging you individually and the others you are standing with haven't seen what I sent you. Maybe now you can see that I'm a man of my word and will tell everyone your dirty little secrets. This is your FINAL warning; back off my friends and I. And so help you Odin, if you touch Astrid ONE MORE TIME; I will personally ruin your lives just as I did to Gruffnut. One press of a button and the entire Senior Class will see everything you do now, pics included. And the police will know you put it in Astrid's head to kill herself last week. She didn't tell me, but as I told you on Wednesday; watch what you say and do because you never know who is watching. Have a good day! :p -HH.**_

HH were the initials belonging to Hiccup Haddock. The five didn't move or even respond. Camicazi personally knew that she just had that sonogram done on Wednesday after school, and for Hiccup to have access to that; he worked fast.

"Safe to say that we aren't safe if we don't stop as we discussed earlier. Hiccup is the one who humiliated Gruffnut in front of the senior class and made him drop out," Thuggory said.

"Sadly…I think it's time for a change of pace…As fun as it was in the beginning; it's clear that Hiccup isn't going to stand for it anymore," Nadia informed her friends.

"I would rather be on his good side if this is what he was able to do in just three days…" Eret admitted.

"We'll deal with things in two weeks. In the meantime, let's focus on giving the best apology we can, or he'll never buy it and think it's a trick," Ragna mumbled.

"And he could rat us out to our parents, or his uncles Alvin and Spitelout, who are both of the police force and one of them is Chief of it," Camicazi said. With the five of them in agreement; the split off and began their journeys home.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Everything was in place, and all Hiccup needed to complete the party was, of course, the guest of honor, Astrid. Hiccup had sent Astrid upstairs to get something for him while Stoick and Valka confirmed to Hiccup that the Ballroom was ready for the party. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Dagur, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden arrived when Hiccup gave them the clear to come through. Everyone got ready as Hiccup met Astrid in front of the doors.

"This is what you asked for, right?" Astrid inquired holding out the box to Hiccup.

"Yes, thank you," Hiccup smiled.

"You're welcome," Astrid replied. "Well, I'm gonna get some sleep; I'm kind'a tired," she said.

"Wait!" Hiccup stopped her as she turned to face him again. "Uh…Why don't you come with me into the Ballroom for a sec? We…Changed the curtains by the windows, and I want a female opinion on how it looks. Dad thinks it's too festive. Mom says it's just right. I say it's fine too, so dad thinks the decision is biased…Help?" he lied as Astrid arched a brow, but shrugged and nodded. Hiccup smiled as he opened the doors.

The lights flipped on as everyone jumped out. "Surprise! Happy birthday, Astrid!" they all cheered laughing. Astrid jumped a bit with a hand over her heart but in total shock.

"Wh-What's all this?" Astrid inquired, still stunned to see how the Ballroom looked. The food, cake, music set up, banner, streamers, her favorite colors, etc. Everything looked fabulous, and Astrid couldn't believe it.

"It's a party for you, Ast!" Heather exclaimed.

"B-But why? My birthday was on Wednesday…" Astrid reminded.

"Did you think we wouldn't throw you a party to celebrate being eighteen?" Minden giggled.

"Hiccup's been working on this since Wednesday, a party for you since we know you've been kind'a down lately. We just wanted you to feel welcome, safe, and loved by all of us," Dagur informed. Astrid wanted to cry as she looked at Hiccup who came beside her with a smile. Holding out his arm, he looked at her.

"What do you say? Let's party?" Hiccup asked. Astrid linked her arm to his and nodded.

"Let's party," Astrid agreed. Seconds later, the music started, and everyone had a feeling it would be a fun night.


	40. A Spark

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

One Spark

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, March 11, 2022-9:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I wasn't expecting anything to happen tonight, and I was ready just to lay down and get some sleep since I didn't have work. I only worked when Hiccup did, so if he was off, so was I. The only exception to this was if I was with someone else he trusted, like his friends or parents. I was shocked to learn that Hiccup planned a surprise birthday party for me; the breakfast with all my favorites had been more than enough on Wednesday, so this was…Simply incredible. Hiccup went out of his way to use the Ballroom, invite all our friends, involve his parents, use my choice colors of black, red, and blue. I couldn't believe Hiccup would do something like this for me, and with the reasoning given as well. My friends knew I'd been upset since last week when I tried to kill myself, and they'd been doing all they were able to keep me distracted and happy. I knew they were aware that sometimes it was hard to find a smile because of everything I'd been through, and the worst part is that only Hiccup knows everything. Maybe one day I'd tell the others about my miscarriage and being targeted by whoever, killed my parents, but for now; I just wanted to focus on passing Senior Year and healing the best I could.

The party was spectacular. Food, dancing, talking, cake, presents, jokes, etc. We played games too. Everyone got me a little something, and I'd cherish it forever. Heather got me a Deadly Nadder necklace painted like Stormfly. Ruffnut and Minden got me a makeup set. Fishlegs got me a charm bracelet that Snotlout and Tuffnut got charms to represent all my friends to put on it. Valka got me a charm with a double-headed axe and the Hofferson crest. I cried a bit after seeing it. Stoick got me a saddle pad for my dragon so that the leather wouldn't rub against her scales. Gobber, surprisingly, got me a proper saddle for Stormfly since. I was not expecting it at all; the saddle was simple with handles and had some storage bags on it too. It was beautiful, and I couldn't wait to try it out. The saddle I had been using was one of Toothless's old ones that Hiccup didn't need anymore because Hiccup remodified the tail rig with a newer saddle. The one Gobber got me was designed for a Deadly Nadder, so flying Stormfly now should be a lot easier.

Somehow; I found myself smiling the entire time. How could I be upset when everyone was rallying together to lift my spirits? Yeah, I missed my parents a lot, and I wanted to see justice served for their murders. I suspected that I might not be able to heal until I knew whoever committed the crime was put away and I am safe. I know Hiccup is seeing to most of my safety as my unofficial bodyguard, but it would be nice to walk freely, go anywhere without worry of being hunted down or kidnapped. Chief Jorgenson hasn't been able to give me much on that entire situation, and he told me not to get more involved than I already am. Spitelout said he would let me know if there was any break in the case leading to the finding or arresting of my parents' murder or murderers. I didn't know if it was one or several who took part. I hoped they found whoever did it soon, so maybe I can live with some peace of mind that I won't be killed if I'm left alone for five seconds.

At 7:30 pm, we began cleaning things up and headed downstairs to game more and keep the party going. As it's now going on 9:30 pm at night; I'm getting tired and ready to get some sleep. I know that it was supposed to be a sleepover in the basement, but I was honestly still a bit sore from the beating on Wednesday and wanted to be in my bed for the night.

"You good over there, Ast?" Heather asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yeah…A bit tired," I admitted.

"Well, let's call it a night early," Minden offered. "We always have tomorrow too," she added.

"Hic, we camping out in your room?" Tuffnut inquired.

"The girls can sleep in my room with me?" Astrid offered.

"Works," Fishlegs smiled.

"Alright, let's get going then," Hiccup chuckled as he shut everything down and we all began making our way to the elevator to get to the second floor.

 **. . .**

 _ **{9:45 pm}**_

The boys were all grouped up in Hiccup's room, and the girls in mine. Hiccup had said goodnight to his parents and found me coming out of my room; we ended up walking into one another.

"Oh, sorry, Hiccup," I apologized quickly.

"It's okay. My fault should have been paying attention," Hiccup smiled. "I thought you were going to bed?"

"I am. I wanted to thank you for tonight," I smiled softly.

"You're welcome," Hiccup informed. "Oh, I do have a gift for you, though," he added quickly.

"Hiccup, you didn't have to get me anything, The party was…More than enough," I said softly. "I had the best night; it couldn't be any better,"

"Well, why don't you open this first and then decide if it can or can't? " Hiccup smiled as he pulled a box out from behind him, and held it out to me. I held the box as Hiccup stuck his hands in his pockets to watch me open the present. I tore the paper and flipped open the flaps, lifting the lid; I froze, staring in shock. Within the box was a new cell phone. My eyes widened, completely stunned at what I was looking at in my hands. A brand new iPhone X, silver, with a yellow and blue case that had the symbol for Deadly Nadder on the back.

I pressed the home button, and the screen came on revealing a picture of Hiccup and me from the day we met and became instant best friends. There was a small note on the inside of the lid to the box that read; _**030904-Passcode**_. I tapped the screen as the phone unlocked and revealed a background of me on Stormfly in the air. All my apps were installed, so were my contacts and music.

"I couldn't salvage your old phone because of the damage, but I managed to put everything on that for you," Hiccup said gently. I tapped Text Messages and instantly saw the one from my dad; the night he and mom died. I saw the last things I sent to them when they hadn't answered. I felt tears forming in my eyes. "I know how much it meant to you to have those last messages with them. It has a military-grade case. That thing will protect against drops, water, dust, etc. Made sure to get you a charger, and headphones too," he said.

"Hiccup, I-I don't know what to say…I'm beyond grateful, b-but you didn't have to get me a new phone," I informed, still shocked at the gift. Hiccup shrugged a little.

"It was…going to be Olivia's phone," Hiccup said as I looked at him quickly. "Well, the one I was giving her for Christmas, but since she's passed on…I didn't want it to go to waste sitting in my desk drawer, as I couldn't return it. And I already have one, so makes no sense to have two. I figured I'd give it to someone who I care about, and needed it," he explained softly. "Also, I hoped to see that smile on your face again, so I think I did my job right," he laughed a bit.

"Thank you…" I choked up. "You don't know what this means to me to have those messages back…" a few tears slipped from my eyes. Hiccup used his thumb to wipe them away. "This does make it better than before," I admitted.

"You're welcome," Hiccup smiled. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I threw myself at him. My lips landed on his in a kiss. Hiccup didn't respond to it, and as soon as I realized what I was doing; I pulled back nervously to see him standing there, entirely shocked and blinking confused-like. I didn't know what to say for my actions, so I went with the first thing that came to mind.

"I-I'm sorry. Thank you for the party…A-And this. I, uh, goodnight, Hiccup," I rushed to my room afterward, shutting the door. Once inside, I leaned against the door. I couldn't believe what I just did! I kissed Hiccup on the lips! What was wrong with me!? Seriously? Why did I kiss him? Hiccup is still mourning the loss of his wife, and coping with her death, which only happened four months ago! I didn't understand why made me kiss Hiccup moments ago. Was I overly excited about the amazing night? That Hiccup went out of his way just to see me smile? I didn't know, and while I'm here inwardly panicking over what I did; Hiccup was probably still in the hallway, confused as fuck.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Ruffnut asked. I couldn't let them know what I did, not right now at least. I needed to have time to figure out why I kissed Hiccup.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hiccup and I ran into one another in the hallway, and he gave me his gift…" I stated, revealing the phone in the box still. The girls squealed and hurried over to get a better look.

"Oh, it's so cute. That case is custom too!" Minden giggled. I smiled, admiring the work on the case and device. I couldn't believe this phone was supposed to be Olivia's, but Hiccup decided to give it to me since Olivia had passed away and he had the phone sitting in a drawer, not being used. I was more shocked Hiccup managed to get all my things back on it. At the same time, nothing Hiccup does should surprise me anymore.

"He got all my stuff back from the broken one…" I informed before going to sit on my bed and get the phone charging. I'd enjoy the time with friends tonight and through the weekend; then I'd focus on that kiss.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{11 pm}**_

 _ **(Hiccup's Room)**_

An hour and fifteen minutes from when it happened and Hiccup still had no clue how to take the kiss Astrid gave him. Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Dagur, and Snotlout were playing games in the sitting room while Hiccup was leaning on the slight balcony of his sitting room while looking outside and trying to figure things out. Why would Astrid kiss him?

"Hic?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup didn't respond.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Hiccup?" Tuffnut tried. Still nothing.

"HICCUP!" the four males yelled together. Hiccup jumped a bit and quickly turned around to see them staring at him.

"Odin above!" Hiccup put a hand on his chest. "What? What is it?" he asked.

"Welcome back," Dagur chuckled.

"What's with you tonight?" Snotlout asked.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup inquired.

"You've been zoned out for the last hour or so," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Guess I got a lot on my mind," Hiccup admitted.

"What do you mean?" Tuffnut wondered. Hiccup sighed as he leaned on the railing of the balcony again, folding his hands together, and closing his eyes.

"Come on; you can tell us, brother," Dagur urged.

Hiccup lowered his head a little. "Astrid kissed me tonight," he confessed. Silence.

"What kind of kiss are we talking? On the cheek or…?" Snotlout questioned.

"On the lips, right in the hallway after I gave her my gift of a working phone with a military-grade, protective, custom-made case, and informed her that I got all her pictures, music, contacts, apps, and old texts back on it…" Hiccup stated while still looking outside into the night.

"What did you do?" Dagur wondered.

"Nothing. I didn't do anything because I didn't know what to do. I just stood there, never kissed her back; she pulled back, thanked me for the party and gift, then bolted into her room. I stood in the hallway for about five minutes, entirely confused," Hiccup said as he turned around and faced them now, leaning on the railing with his eyes still closed.

"I mean; I'll take the punch for asking this but…Did you like it?" Snotlout looked at him now. Hiccup raised his eyes, open now. Hiccup hadn't thought about liking it or not as he'd been stunned with it happened, and spent all this time trying to figure out why Astrid would do it.

"Hiccup?" Fishlegs got his attention after about a minute of silence and no answer.

"I-I don't know, alright? I don't know," Hiccup replied finally.

"Well, how did it make you feel? Besides confused," Dagur tried.

"I've been trying to work that out for the last hour or so…" Hiccup admitted. "I don't know. At first, it was confusion. After I recovered and came in here…I guess I can't seem to get it out of my head,"

"Hiccup, you're dodging the question, man. Did you like it?" Tuffnut rolled his eyes.

"It's hard to say, Tuff. Astrid and I are best friends, and she kissed me on the lips out of the blue. I don't even know where to start on trying to figure this out," Hiccup moved to the chair and plopped down in it with his head in his hands.

"Stop trying to figure it out, Hic. Don't think about anything else with wondering why she did it; just tell us how it made you feel," Snotlout offered.

"Confused, but then…I guess the best description, as female middle schooler-ish as it's gonna sound, is that I got butterflies," Hiccup explained.

"So you did like it," Fishlegs smiled. "Maybe you're developing a crush on Astrid?"

Hiccup eyed him. "Don't give us that look, Hiccup. We all know that you liked Astrid as more than a friend through middle school, and then she began drifting off to the others, and that hurt you," Tuffnut reminded.

"And when she got with Eret, you were heartbroken…And let it go, figuring you lost your chance and then hoped she was happy," Dagur added.

"Well, yeah. She's my best friend; I want her happiness," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, you're missing the point here," Snotlout informed. "You let go of your feelings for Astrid when she got with Eret, and then she turned into one of them, and you were hurt but continued to keep an eye on her regardless. We heard the conversation between you two the night of Uncle Stoick and Aunt Val's party,"

"Y-You did?" Hiccup asked, looking down a bit.

"Yes, and after letting go of your feelings for Astrid; you ended up meeting Olivia. We know how much you loved her, Hiccup, but she's no longer with us…And she told you to be happy. How long are you going to deny yourself that?" Dagur pushed.

"It feels wrong to move on…" Hiccup admitted.

"Because you two got married right before she passed, cuz. You promised to love her forever, and she did the same to you. Hiccup, you're still wearing the rings, and constantly watch those videos. It feels wrong to move on because you won't let yourself let Liv go. You're still holding onto her," Snotlout reminded.

"And I get that…I'm trying, okay; it just hurts after everything we went through. I knew about it all along, and I knew things wouldn't last long, but it still doesn't change the pain of it happening…" Hiccup closed his eyes. "Even will all that…Is one kiss from Astrid enough to say I like her?"

"It's possible that her kissing you woke up those feelings you buried a few years back," Fishlegs suggested. "Maybe, for now, let things play out. You're still mourning Olivia, and perhaps tonight's kiss was just an over-happy Astrid because of all the things you've done for her since she became a friend again,"

"You think?" Hiccup asked.

"Or, maybe she likes you," Tuffnut mentioned. Hiccup arched a brow. "What? It's possible. I mean, you've done some pretty nice things for her, man,"

"The phone, party, embarrassing the populars, defending her…You've gone out of your way to see Astrid happy," Dagur added.

"I was…Just being a good friend," Hiccup mumbled, then sighed. "For now, I'm gonna leave it be. Unless I get something from her to offer more proof she could like me, or my feelings change…I'm not doing anything. "I'm gonna get some sleep,"

"Night, Hiccup," the four males called as Hiccup went into his bedroom, and crawled into bed with the lights off. Hiccup stared at the ceiling, still thinking about the kiss. The one thing Hiccup didn't tell them is that when Astrid kissed Hiccup, an old flame began glowing, and there was a spark. Now, Hiccup needed to figure out how and where this would go.


	41. Act Of Redemption

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Act Of Redemption

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Monday, March 14, 2022-11:50 am}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

It would seem that my kissing Hiccup didn't phase him a lot. The next morning when me, Hiccup, and our friends met downstairs for breakfast; he was smiling, laughing, and being…Well, being the Hiccup we all know and love. I guess the initial shock from last night wore off, and perhaps Hiccup assumed that it was just my emotions taking over in gratitude of him throwing the party for me, and giving me a new phone with all my old stuff on it. I still don't know why I did it; perhaps I was just overly emotional at his gift and the party he put together for me. All of it was to cheer me up because they know I have been miserable since the suicide attempt, and my birthday where Eret, Gruffnut, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna were picking on me. I knew Hiccup had to have told our friends about what happened; there we no secrets between us. Well, except for the one about me being a target and Hiccup is my protector. I wondered if that was a reason I kissed Hiccup too; the fact he's gone out of his way to help me, and as far as the protecting bit goes; he's endangering himself for me. I didn't know what to do, but I guess if Hiccup wasn't mad at me and there wasn't any tension, maybe I should leave it alone until something comes up?

The questions I struggled with is that _until something comes up_ part. What was I looking for to come up where we'd have to address what happened on Friday the 11th of March? Was I waiting for Hiccup to say something? Or a sign as to why I did it? Briefly, I wondered on Friday night as I was falling asleep if I kissed Hiccup because I like him, but I threw that theory out the window. There was no way I could be crushing on him, right? That was…Ridiculous to even consider. Hiccup and I are best friends; he'd never like me back. Besides, the possibility of Hiccup liking me was slim to none when I know full well that he's still very much in love with Olivia even though she's passed on now. Hiccup is still mourning Olivia, and this girl wasn't his girlfriend or fiancé; she's the mother of Runa, and for about five minutes; Hiccup's wife. I couldn't compete with that, and Hiccup was very clearly not ready to move on. Not that I expected him to be given the reasons around their whole relationship that I now understand. I knew that I had feelings for Hiccup long before I got with Eret, but it's clear I stopped liking Hiccup when I started hanging out with the popular kids.

Unless my feelings were beginning to resurface because of everything Hiccup has done for me, being the amazing best friend that he is. It's how I started liking him the first time; Hiccup is just incredible. He listens, helps, cracks jokes gives a shoulder to cry on. And maybe now that he and I are friends again, seeing all he's doing for me is allowing my feelings to return because Hiccup is still the guy I liked before Eret. And I kissed Hiccup because perhaps secretly, I want him to like me back. Even if that's the case; I'm not ready to date again, and I'm sure, neither is Hiccup. I guess this is where that if something comes up part comes into play again. If Hiccup feels something for me; he'd tell me, right? I guess we could go from there, but until then; I'm going to leave it alone. There's no point fixing something that isn't broken after all. Currently, it's Monday morning after everything and the start of lunch hour. I was with Hiccup and our friends, enjoying our meal and talking until I noticed something a bit strange that hadn't clicked until just now.

Eret, Nadia, Gruffnut, Ragna, Camicazi, and Thuggory weren't at their table next to ours. And come to think of it; I haven't seen any of them all day.

"Anyone else notice six people who are always giving us trouble not here today?" I decided to ask them.

"I did wonder about that too," Fishlegs put his finger up.

"Don't see why it matters," Hiccup huffed. "At least they are leaving us alone," he added while eating his sandwich with his eyes closed.

"Come on, Hiccup…Aren't you the least bit curious?" Heather asked.

"I suppose, but I still don't care," Hiccup replied. Tuffnut turned to one of the other tables now.

"Hey, anyone over here know what happened to the popular jerks?" Tuffnut questioned.

"You didn't hear?" a male spoke up. We shook our heads. "Gruffnut dropped out last Friday after that video of him went around; I guess he couldn't take the humiliation of everyone know he was a submissive gay," I was shocked. Gruff dropped out over that message that went around?

"And what about the populars?" Ruffnut asked.

"Suspended for a week for bullying," another girl informed. "Happened Friday too. Mr. Meatsen called all five of them down to the office, and when they came back; they were asking what assignments they'd miss this week. When the teacher asked why they needed to know; they said they got suspended for a week for bullying someone who turned in a video to the principal," she explained.

"Wow," Snotlout blinked.

"I wonder who caught them bullying and let Mr. Meatsen know," Heather wondered. I cast a glance at Hiccup, who was just eating still and not joining in on the conversation, so I wondered if he had anything to do with Gruffnut dropping out or the suspension. Perhaps I'd ask him later.

"Well, they deserved it," Ruffnut said.

"Someone finally exposed them for the things they do and never get caught," Minden agreed.

"Who knows, maybe it's exactly what they need to understand what they do is wrong," Fishlegs stated.

"You think they'll suddenly start being nice?" Tuffnut arched a brow as Fishlegs shrugged.

"I suppose it's possible that after a swift kick in the ass and hard reality check that they could have a new outlook and turn themselves around, but I'm not holding my breath on it. I've said it before regarding me; it would take some serious convincing for me ever to believe they are sorry, and proof that they've changed," Hiccup scoffed coldly.

"I also heard they have detention all next week after returning," one of the people at the table on the other side of us mentioned.

"Serves them right," Hiccup remarked. I watched Hiccup continue to eat, and then I turned back to my lunch to do the same. Yeah, I was asking Hiccup later on if he had anything to do with this. For now, I wanted to get through the day, then work, and get to Haddock Manor so I could relax a bit while doing my homework.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Thursday, March 17, 2022-10:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Burger)**_

So I haven't been able to ask Hiccup if he was involved in Gruffnut dropping out or the six populars getting suspended because Hiccup has been busy with dragon training our friends and me, work, Runa got a bit sick, and yesterday, Hiccup was suffering a bad migraine. I was hoping to ask him today, but we had school from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm, then work from 3:30 pm to now, 10:30 pm.

"Head on out to the Jeep, Astrid. I just gotta alarm the building and lock it up," Hiccup told me with a smile.

"Okay," I replied, leaving through the right-side door with the other employees. I stood by the Jeep and watched the other four employees get picked up or take off in their vehicles. I saw Hiccup running around inside through the Drive-Thru window, probably making sure everything was all set for the morning crew at 8:30 am tomorrow. Hiccup left the Jeep locked, so I was just standing next to it and waiting for Hiccup to join me. I planned on asking him about things on the drive to Berk, I don't know why it mattered to me so much, but I wanted to know if Hiccup had anything to do with the suspension. I never took Hiccup as someone who got revenge, but then again; he did humiliate all six of my former friends at lunch and told me straight up that he did it for me.

Standing under the lamp post, I pulled out my phone to check messages from anyone. I was scrolling through a few things when something caught my eye. A black van was parked around the corner slightly, and I saw people in there. I suddenly felt a little uneasy and went to call Hiccup that I felt like I was being watched. I saw males walking towards me slowly.

"Ello, lassie," one smirked. I gulped.

"We're not going to hurt you," another added.

"Our boss just wants to have a word," someone jumped at me, and I moved to the side.

"HICCUP!" I screamed. One neared me and grabbed my arm as I tried to jerk away. "No, let me go!" I stomped his foot, and he released me.

"What can one girl do against five men?" one chuckled. "No one can protect you,"

"Wanna bet?" came Hiccup's voice as my eyes widened. I looked over and saw Hiccup grab the guy who had my arm before. Bringing his fist back, Hiccup punched the man in the face. The male stumbled back, trying to catch his footing.

"We don't have time for this; grab the girl and let's go!" one shouted. The van I saw turned on its headlights and began moving closer. "Deal with this punk!" he demanded. Three of the five surrounded Hiccup as the remaining two went for me.

"Astrid, get in the Jeep!" Hiccup unlocked it. "Call the police!" I nodded as I used my purse to whack one of the males away and open the Jeep door.

"What about you?!" I asked with concern.

"Don't worry about me! I'll be okay," Hiccup yelled at me. Quickly, I got into the Jeep and shut the door. Hiccup locked it once more as I watched with fear for Hiccup. I went to get my phone and realized I dropped it outside.

 _Shit…_ I mentally cursed realizing that now, I can't call the police. I watched as all seven surrounded Hiccup now, and bit my lip; this was all my fault. Hiccup couldn't take all of them on himself! These guys were twice his size, and looked like they had weapons!

"Kill the boy; then we'll take the girl," someone ordered. I gasped, entirely scared for Hiccup. However, Hiccup took a stance, carefully looking around at his opponents. Two charged at him from different angles as Hiccup pivoted his foot, and brought up the other leg to kick the male coming from behind away, then Hiccup grabbed the shoulders of the one in front of him and shoved him forward and brought forward his leg to knee the man in the stomach. My eyes widened a little.

Hiccup used his left elbow and slammed it down on the back of the male's neck, forcing him to the ground face first. There was a pause as that second male Hiccup attacked remained still and appeared unconscious. The guys looked at their pal, then at Hiccup a little shocked. The man that Hiccup had kicked was back up and moving his jaw around, but had a bloody nose since Hiccup got him in the face.

"What the-," I heard a familiar voice and looked to see Thuggory, Ragna, Camicazi, Eret, and Nadia walking into the parking lot.

"Oh, I don't need this right now…" Hiccup grumbled.

"Enough of this!" the one calling the people glared, pulling a gun and pointing it at Hiccup's head. I rushed out of the Jeep panting.

"No!" I screamed in fear. However, I saw Hiccup bring up his left arm to hold off the man with the gun's arm while dodging right. Hiccup turned his arm to grab the man's wrist, and hold it there; then Hiccup twisted the male's wrist, making him yelp almost and drop the gun. Hiccup used his foot to grab the weapon and slide it away from himself and the group he was surrounded by. I panted, terrified as someone else tried to attack Hiccup from behind. Hiccup pulled the wrist of the man he was holding to keep the other guy back. Hiccup drew back his fist and socked the man he was holding in the gut hard enough to make him cough to catch his breath.

Hiccup hooked his leg around the male's in front of him, then pulled it out to make the guy fall, but Hiccup brought his leg up and kicked the man back hard; he fell on his back and slammed his head on the pavement. For a second, the man grunted and tried to get back up, then fell unconscious.

"Get him!" one of the others demanded.

"Astrid! Get in the damn Jeep!" Hiccup ordered.

"Hiccup, no! You're gonna get yourself killed. Come on; we can outrun them!" I told him quickly. Hiccup didn't have time to answer as one of the men charged at Hiccup again; this guy had a bat. Hiccup bent his knees and avoided the swing at him by bending back a little. Hiccup came back up and punched the male in the face hard to make him stumble slightly. In this time, someone came at Hiccup from behind and jumped on his back to tackle him down. Hiccup got slammed against the cement once, and I winced while watching.

"What is going on?" Camicazi asked. I didn't respond; I was too worried for Hiccup, who was on the ground and had been punched in the face after being slammed down hard a second time. Hiccup brought his elbow up and forced the guy on him back, and then Hiccup pushed him off, Once the guy was back enough, Hiccup turned slightly and swept his leg to knock the man on his back hard. Hiccup managed to get to his feet as another came at him. Hiccup bent forward slightly as the guy stumbled and Hiccup grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him over his shoulder, then slammed him onto his back.

"Hiccup, come on, let's go while you can get away!" I pleaded. Too late, though. Someone charged at Hiccup from the front as he ducked to avoid the hit, used his arm to hold off another attack, then kick the guy's shin to make him drop to a knee. Hiccup grabbed his face and headbutted him; that guy went unconscious next. Three down, four to go, and something told me that Hiccup wasn't backing down.

"I told you to get in the Jeep and stay there!" Hiccup yelled at me angrily. "I'm not doing this so you can be an easy target, Astrid! I said I'd protect you, so let me do my damn job!" my eyes widened slightly. "I care more about your safety than my own. I wouldn't have done this if I had doubts about my abilities. I can handle myself, so get somewhere safe, and call the police!" Hiccup jumped back to avoid being hit with a metal pole. Hiccup grabbed it from the guy and used it to whirl the end into someone else's stomach, then bring it up to block another attack from behind.

"Eret, let's help him out," Thuggory suggested. Eret nodded as the two of them rushed forward and both punched a guy in the face who was coming at Hiccup with a bat. Hiccup swung his pole to hit the guy he was holding off in the face to push him back. Hiccup panted.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Helping," Eret stated.

"You need it," Thuggory added. I couldn't believe they were jumping in, but I had my task; call the police. I dialed 911 and waited while watching as Eret, Hiccup, and Thuggory grouped up to keep the rest of the attackers back.

 _=Normal POV=_

"No, I don't. Nobody else needs to get involved," Hiccup glared as he threw his arm out to clothesline someone coming at him from behind. The guy dropped holding his face and rolling side to side in pain. "I can take care of myself. You wanna do something useful, made sure Astrid stays safe!" Hiccup dropped low to kick someone's leg out from under them and as they were falling; Hiccup whipped around with a spinning side-kick to knock the male back a few paces. Hiccup got punched in the cheek by another person as Eret pushed the guy away and socked him in the face. Thuggory turned and kicked another person in the stomach to keep him too.

"Stop being so proud and take the help, Hiccup!" Eret glared at him. There were still four guys to deal with, and Hiccup was exhausted.

"If you get hurt; it's not my fault," Hiccup muttered. Astrid already called 911 and explained that she was attacked while leaving work, and her friend is caught in a fight trying to protect her. Hiccup, Eret, and Thuggory fended off three of the fighters. One went for the gun and aimed. Hiccup saw that it would hit Thuggory or Eret if fired. Hiccup dashed forward and shoved them out of the way. "Get down!" Hiccup stated quickly. The gun went off as Thuggory and Eret saw Hiccup had moved out of the firing line just in time. The bullet hit the dumpsters across the lot. Hiccup blocked the guy from firing again by forcing the gun out of his hands and taking hold of the weapon. Hiccup used it to knock the guy out with the handle by whacking him across the face. The other three, who got up and recovered froze when Hiccup held the gun in his hands and pointed it at them. "Not another step," he warned.

"You won't do it," one challenged.

Hiccup pulled the top back, loading a bullet in the chamber. "You sure about that?" Hiccup asked.

"It's murder," the second stated.

"It's self-defense because you attacked me first and had this same gun pointed at my head not more than ten minutes ago," Hiccup informed calmly, but it was clear he was pissed and tired from the last fifteen or so minutes. Sirens could be heard, and Hiccup knew that this nightmare was far from over. The three didn't move as Hiccup held them in place just by aiming the gun in their direction.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:30 pm}**_

It was almost an hour later from when everything started to now when Hiccup and Astrid were finally allowed to leave Archia Burger. The cops arrived and dealt with those unconscious and being held at gunpoint by Hiccup. Astrid and the five populars defended that Hiccup never fired the gun, and only used it to hold them at bay. Everyone told the story as they saw it; the attackers were cuffed and taken away. Hiccup got looked over by a paramedic, but Hiccup said he was fine and just wanted to get home. After statements were done, and the cops left; Hiccup made his way to the Jeep.

"I don't know what made you jump in to help me, but thank you," Hiccup said to Thuggory and Eret. "Come on, Astrid; let's get home," Hiccup added. Astrid noticed that the populars looked like they wanted to say something to Hiccup, but were also holding back because they could see he was exhausted.

"You're welcome," Eret said calmly. Hiccup got in the Jeep, and Astrid followed suit.

"We'll have to apologize another night," Camicazi said.

"Agreed," Nadia nodded. They watched Hiccup back out of his spot, then head off down the road to get back to Berk. In the Jeep, Astrid sat back, trying to relax with the fact she was almost attacked again.

"Are you hurt, Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"No, I'm okay. I only got grabbed once…" Astrid admitted.

"Good…Good," Hiccup sighed some, relieved almost. I didn't know what it was, but my heart began racing as I thought about what Hiccup said earlier with wanting to protect her and he wants her to be safe over himself. Astrid sat back in the Jeep with her head on the rest, sighing out contently. Tonight was crazy, and she was glad it was over. However, something was nagging at her. Why did Eret and Thuggory jump in to help Hiccup? I didn't understand it. There were no snide remarks, no sarcasm, no bullying; they just straight up decided to help Hiccup fight. I wondered if this was them turning around and tonight was an act of redemption.


	42. Try Another Day

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Try Another Day

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Monday, March 21, 2022-5:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

"Why can't you fucking support me!?" Hiccup raged. Astrid watched almost helplessly as Stoick and Hiccup were arguing with one another loudly, causing the people in the room to wince at the noise. It had been a trying day since the moment Hiccup woke up in Astrid's eyes. Hiccup woke up with a headache that he wasn't sure would develop into a migraine or no, so he took one of his pills just in case. Hiccup and Astrid met his parents and Gobber downstairs for breakfast, and it was quiet through the meal. Getting to school; it began like any typical day. Hiccup and Astrid went to their lockers, met up with their friends, then went to the first period. The second period was alright too, but in Physical Education; the populars were back from their suspension and trying to talk to Hiccup. However, he wasn't having it. Hiccup didn't care what they wanted, or that Eret and Thuggory helped him out; he was still pissed at how the five of them treated him, Astrid, and their other friends over the years. In lunch hour; it happened again where the five populars tried to speak with Hiccup, and he straight up told them to fuck off or else.

Now, Astrid and the rest of the group didn't know what _or else_ meant. However, it went without saying that it would obviously be an adverse outcome if they didn't back off. Eret, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, and Camicazi must have known because they left him alone after that. At 2 pm when Astrid and the others were waiting for Hiccup to arrive; they saw something interesting happen between the populars and Mr. Meatsen.

 _ **/Flashback; 2 pm at Archian Prep/**_

 _Heather, Snotlout, Astrid, Minden, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut met at the central office for Hiccup since he would take them to his house for an hour of dragon training._

" _Where's Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked._

" _He should be along soon. I think he said something about using the bathroom and getting an aspirin," Astrid informed the group._

" _Oh, got it," Heather smiled._

" _Have you five apologized to Mr. Haddock or Miss. Hofferson?" came Mogadon Meatsen's voice from within the office. Looking a bit curiously into the area, the door was left open a bit, which would allow them to hear better._

" _Hiccup won't let us anywhere near him, Dad; we've tried twice today," Thuggory defended quickly._

" _He's not lying, sir. We have," Nadia interjected._

" _How are you approaching him?" Mogadon questioned._

" _Slow, and calmly. But as soon as we say his name; he tells us to leave him alone," Camicazi said lightly._

" _And is Miss. Hofferson refusing to see you as well?" Mogadon inquired._

" _Astrid is always with Hiccup, and if we can't get near him; we can't approach her either…" Ragna enlightened._

" _I see," Mogadon rubbed his chin. "Perhaps school isn't the best location as a lot of what occurred happened here," the man continued thinking of an idea. "Have you gone to his house?"_

" _Hiccup refuses to allow us there," Eret said._

" _And why would that be?" Mogadon asked._

" _We…Said a couple of things about his wife…The girl who passed away from cancer in November, while he was out for like a week," Thuggory mentioned, clearly ashamed._

" _Stoick invited us to Hiccup's 18_ _th_ _birthday party at the house, and we ticked him off. Hiccup said we're no longer allowed there because we're, and I quote, insensitive assholes," Camicazi looked down._

" _Hiccup said that the only exception is with our parents present because he believes that we at least act decently with you guys around…" Ragna added softly._

" _It infuriates me that you five caused this much damage," Mogadon closed his eyes, rubbing them and sighing heavily. "Off with you to Study Hall. I will call up your parents, and we'll discuss how to handle this matter, but a sincere apology is owed to Miss. Hofferson, and with all I hear now, especially to Mr. Haddock,"_

" _Yes, father," Thuggory nodded as the five quickly left._

 _ **/End Flashback/**_

The friends saw the five leave with their heads down. Upon seeing Astrid the five attempted to make their apology, but as soon as they were going to start; Hiccup rounded the corner and almost as if they were afraid of Hiccup, they rushed away. The day continued as normal; Hiccup gave his friends their lesson, and then they were all hanging out in the Great Room talking until Stoick and Valka came home at 4:30 pm to overhear Hiccup telling his friends about joining the military. And since then; it had been arguing. At 5:15 pm, the current time; Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna showed up unexpectedly with their parents or parent if only one. Astrid and the friends saw them get led in by Sigurd; head of the Haddock Manor staff.

"Hiccup, it's not a practical career for you to have!" Stoick remarked.

"Since when are my life choices any concern of yours, Dad!?" Hiccup stated coldly.

"Oh, Hiccup, not this again. You've been holding onto this ridiculous idea for three years," Stoick sighed.

"So the military is ridiculous to you? Wow, good to know," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that, son," Stoick said.

"Well, that's how it sounds," Hiccup snarked back.

"You have no reason to join the army, Hiccup. You have a perfectly stable job with Archia Burger; you're eighteen and a General Manager. You were a Shift Supervisor at sixteen. And Crew Trainer at fifteen. I've never seen anyone jump ranks that fast. Why would you want to leave that to go do hellish workouts, play with guns, and all that over stuff?" Stoick asked.

"I'm so glad you think the army is nothing but _playing with guns and stuff_ ," Hiccup countered, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I'm good at my job at Archia Burger. But that's just a fast food job, Dad. It's not something I want to do the rest of my life when I can do so much more," he argued.

"I don't doubt that, Hiccup, but you don't need _more_ by joining the army! You have so much more potential than doing that kind of a job. You could be an artist, a singer/songwriter, full-time dragon trainer or racer even. Odin knows with Toothless you'd probably be more well-known than me! Or, come work with me at Archia Isle Hall, son. You'd make a good leader to the island with some proper direction," Stoick suggested.

Hiccup threw his arms down, frustrated. "Oh, my Gods…Don't start that again! I'm not going to be the Mayor, Dad. I don't want to…Lead these people; I want to protect them! And joining the army lets me do that! I want to be one of those guys in uniform who protect our home so everyone can live in peace and be happy. That's what I want to do, and you seem to think it's the worst thing in the world!" Hiccup accused. "It's not wrong for anyone else! So why are you so against it with me?!"

"Hiccup, you're a lover…Not a fighter…You're too understanding and kind; you hate violence," Stoick muttered.

"If you only knew how wrong you were. Yeah, I'm a lover, and I do hate violence. But there is no better feeling than fighting to protect the people you love most!" Hiccup stated. "I've wanted this for three years, Dad! I haven't changed my mind or thought twice about my decision. You are the only one against me joining!"

"Because it's not the job for you, Hiccup! You're my son, and you're a father yourself. Do you think I want to have to be the one to explain to Runa why her father has been gone for months while you train? What if you get deployed? What if you got killed, Hiccup? Then what? Runa already lost her mother, do you want her to end up without you too?!" Stoick glared.

"Don't you dare bring Olivia into this! That is such a cop-out excuse! Even Olivia knew I wanted to join; she had cancer, knew she was dying and I'd be a single father to Runa…But she still supported my dreams! Gobber does, my friends do…Even those five do," Hiccup motioned to the populars standing behind Astrid and the others. "Those five who have been bullying me for years, giving me shit about everything have respect for me wanting to join…But you and mom won't?" Hiccup retorted as Stoick didn't say anything at first. "That's…Undeniably one of the saddest things I've ever heard. Parents won't support their only son who wants to join the army to provide a better life for his daughter and to protect the people he loves,"

"Hiccup…" Valka tried. "The military is dangerous, and your father is right…What happens if you got hurt or killed," she cried a bit.

"Then you can all know I did it to serve my home with the rest of the military. We all know the ultimate price to be paid for freedom and peace. As sad as it may be to lose a soldier, warrior, airman, seaman, or sailor…You can know they went down fighting to keep their home safe," Hiccup stated. "I'd rather be out there helping than sitting here living life as if nothing is wrong with the world. While others are out there dying for us to live the way we do. That is the _more_ I want, Dad. I don't want a good life; I want a great life. I want to be all I can be, and wouldn't you know it; that's the fucking motto of the Archia Isle Army; Be All You Can Be," Hiccup glared back.

"So you'll die and abandon everyone," Stoick huffed.

"Oh, my Gods; you are impossible! You only see the worst possible situation of this, you don't see my side, and you certainly aren't hearing what I'm saying. I'm so done with this. I've fucking heard enough! If you don't want to support me, then fine. I got plenty of others that do, and I'm not gonna give up what I want to do just because my parents won't support it on biased, bullshit reasons. Unless something monumental happens as a sign from the Gods to show me I shouldn't join; then I'm joining after I graduate, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me!" Hiccup clenched his fists and stormed off past everyone.

"Hiccup, don't you dare walk away from me!" Stoick demanded. Hiccup glared at him as he moved to the windows of the Great Room, then gave a long whistle. Seconds later, Toothless rushed over as Hiccup got on his back. "Don't you even think-," Toothless darted into the sky, and was out of sight before Stoick could finish his sentence. The room was eerily silent and filled with tension that was so thick it could get cut with a knife.

"How many times have I told ya, Stoick; he knows what he wants to do," Gobber sighed, breaking the silence. "Why do you gotta fight with him?"

"He's my only son, Gobber…And I don't think it's right for him regardless of want…" Stoick plopped down on the couch.

"And I get that, but don't you see what this is doing? It's pushing him away. Hiccup is gonna go off to training, and you won't hear from him at all because he knows you two will start fighting again," Gobber reminded. "He's wanted this for three years, my friend…It's not that you feel it's not right for him; it's you not wanting to let go of your baby. I know how it goes; Hiccup was born two months early, and you two were told countless times that he might not survive. But you, Stoick, you held firm and said that Hiccup would be the strongest of them all. And Hiccup pulled through, and has continued to succeed in many situations where people thought failure would be the outcome,"

"You say Hiccup isn't a fighter, Stoick, but that's all the lad has done his whole life. Fight to live, fight to succeed, fight to be accepted…Hiccup strives to be the perfect son to you both, only wanting you to accept him, his choices, and be proud of him," Gobber continued. Stoick looked down as Valka sat beside him. Gobber grabbed a picture of Hiccup in a Senior Year photo off the shelf and opened it up finding the last one towards the back and revealing it to Stoick and Valka as a baby Hiccup in the hospital, the day he was born.

"This is the Hiccup you're still holding on to; this is why you won't support him. You don't want to accept that this boy, has now become this man," Gobber showed them the Senior picture again. Both side by side, Stoick and Valka sighed again. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but Hiccup is all grown up now. He's about to graduate in a few months; he fell in love, he was married, has become a father himself…Hiccup is not a boy anymore, and you have to let him become the man he's meant to be. Let him join, let him grow up…Let him go. All Hiccup wants to do is protect the people he loves; that includes you two,"

"You're right, Gobber…I've been so blind during the years. To Val and I; Hiccup is still that born prematurely infant lying in a protective box with wires and tubes helping fight for his life," Stoick said.

"That's why you cherish the time you have while they are growing up. But if you keep going the way you are with Hiccup and shooting down what he wants to do; you're going to lose him for good, and it won't be because he got killed on a deployment. You're pushing him away by being overprotective," Gobber informed.

"I'll go talk to him," Valka got up.

"I'd, uh, let him cool off, Aunt Val," Snotlout said quickly.

"You know how Hiccup is after a heated fight," Dagur pointed out.

"Unfortunately…Yes, I do know. A temper that can rival his father's," Valka sighed.

"Let him calm down by flying with Toothless, and when he gets back; we can see how his mood is. If it's still sour, one of us will talk to him. I don't think it's a wise idea to send either one of you given that's where the fight started," Gobber stated.

"So on a completely unrelated note and addressing the dragon in the room…Why are you five here?" Fishlegs asked bringing the attention to Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Ragna, and Thuggory. "Because, uh, if Hiccup isn't mad now…He'll be furious upon seeing them,"

"He saw us before…" Eret mentioned.

"Yeah, but he was already in an argument with his dad at that point. If he comes back and sees you here; he might get mad again…" Heather said.

"We were informed that our kids weren't allowed here without a parental escort," Mogadon enlightened. "These five were caught bullying, and their punishments included a week of suspension, and all this week is detention. We also said they had to formally apologize to Astrid, and Hiccup for the things they've done to them,"

"However, the kids say that Hiccup won't allow them anywhere near him at school, so we thought that perhaps it might be better not during school hours and off campus," Nadia's mother, Halla, added.

"Well, their presence, unfortunately, does seem to set Hiccup off almost immediately as of late," Stoick stood now.

"And given the argument he just had; it might not be the best time for apologies," Valka stood beside Stoick.

"I'm afraid I must agree," Bertha Boggs, Camicazi's mom, nodded. "But perhaps…Would Astrid be willing to listen? As I understand it, these five haven't been able to get near her because she's always with Hiccup…"

"I believe that would be up to Astrid," Dagur remarked. Astrid wasn't sure what to do in this situation; these guys were apologizing because they were told to as part of their punishment, which wasn't a bad thing, but the question if they meant it. It was still on Astrid's mind that Eret and Thuggory jumped in to help Hiccup in the fight last Thursday, and they've been trying to talk to Hiccup all day. Astrid guessed that she should at least let them go through with what they were supposed to. Sighing, Astrid faced the give people she used to call her friends and one of them as her boyfriend.

"I will agree to hear them out," Astrid stated.

"Go on," Mogadon urged to the five students.

"Astrid we're…Ridiculously sorry for everything," Ragna said softly.

"We were your friends, and we abandoned when you needed us the most," Thuggory added in.

"We threw you out into the streets when you didn't have anything, we've teased and bullied you when you didn't deserve it," Camicazi continued.

"And didn't didn't need it with all you had going on. You'd lost your parents and home; then you lost us…We're just sorry for everything," Nadia joined in.

"I'm sorry too, and truth be told; Ragna and I only did it once when you and I were together. We only said it had been so long to hurt you…" Eret looked down. "I'm sorry for that,"

"The suspension gave us a lot of time to think about what we did, and we agreed that how we've acted is completely unacceptable," Thuggory remarked.

"We're all just about eighteen, a few younger, and some older. Our behavior as of late has been inexcusable and childish," Camicazi informed.

"We're ashamed of ourselves," Ragna added.

"We're trying to change and do better," Eret jumped in once more, lifting his head.

"So we're sorry to you, Astrid, and all of you as well for the bullying over the years," Nadia looked at Astrid, and then Snotlout, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden. "We gave you hell for years, and with no reason,"

"We know it's probably hard for you to believe us, but we do mean it. I don't know what happens from here, but we hope can forgive us?" Thuggory started.

"A-And maybe we can try to be friends again?" Camicazi hoped.

Astrid watched them as they talked; it seemed like they were genuine in their apologies. And Astrid had a hard time figuring out if they meant every word, or just acting because all eyes were on them right now. The question, though, is what Astrid would do with all this. Astrid could forgive them, or she could say that she didn't believe a word they said. Finally, she closed her eyes. "You guys hurt me pretty bad…" Astrid said.

"We know…" they sighed, looking down.

"You threw me into the streets. I lost my car two days later; I was living in a homeless shelter, I got beat up leaving work, and probably would have gotten killed if not for citizens jumping in to make the person runoff. I was almost grabbed walking to school, and the reason I'm here now is that I got kicked out of the shelter for having a job, then Hiccup found me sleeping in an alleyway during a bad storm. Hiccup knew I was walking in the blizzard, so he turned around to come after me, and saw me go in the alley," Astrid explained.

"Astrid, we'd do anything to take back what we did to you…" Eret stated quickly.

Astrid sighed heavily. "I…Accept your apologies, but I will not forgive any of you unless you prove what you've said here tonight. Also, I don't know about being friends again. You stood here in this house when Hiccup told you that you'd throw someone aside if they ended up with nothing, and you said that wouldn't happen. As soon as I was…Poor, and homeless; that's exactly what you did to me. So I don't know if we can ever be what we were before. You'd have to earn back my trust and show me that you want to be friends. At the same time; you have to know I'm friends with all these guys too, and Hiccup is my best friend. You have to earn their trust and acceptance too,"

"And it won't be easy either," Snotlout huffed.

"Nobody is cool with us if Hiccup doesn't approve; he's our leader. Hiccup is an excellent judge of character, he knows when people lie, and he protects us," Heather said.

"We understand," the five said.

"That's a first," came Hiccup's voice as everyone faced him coming into the room with his arms over his chest. "You can save your breath in trying to apologize to me next," he stated quickly knowing they were about to start. "As I've said before; you act like angels with them around," Hiccup referenced to the fact their parents were there. "I won't believe a word you say until you can show me you know how to behave like adults who don't need mommy and daddy with them as the push to do so. It's appreciated that you remembered what I said in not being allowed here without them, but if you can't even manage to apologize on your power; then it's worthless to me. You should know when you've done wrong and apologize without being told, and it's a meaningless apology when you're only doing it as part of a punishment. In case you're wondering; I'm the one who e-mailed Mr. Meatsen that video of you five bullying Astrid on her birthday. That's why I know this right here, is bullshit, and I don't deal in fake people,"

After Hiccup said that, he walked away leaving the rest of the room to sigh heavily. "I think it's best if we go for now," Mogadon said.

"I'm sure he'll calm down and be more open to listening after he's…Calmed down," Valka tried.

"Come, you five," Eret the First informed. The five of them left with their parents or parent telling themselves that apologizing to Hiccup would not only be hard but also, have to try another day.


	43. Irreplaceable

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Irreplaceable

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, March 25, 2022-3 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

I've seen Hiccup happy, sad, and annoyed before, but I've never seen him enraged like how I did last week when he and Stoick argued over Hiccup's choice to join the military after graduating High School. Things were calm with all of us talking, and then Stoick came home with Valka. Everything went downhill after that. It started with Stoick making a comment, Hiccup sarcastically saying something back, and then boom; yelling and anger from both sides. At 5:15 pm, I noticed Sigurd bring in Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna along with their parents, or parent if only one. Everyone noticed them right away, but it didn't seem to stop Hiccup and his father from verbally going at one another. After Hiccup took off with Toothless, Gobber jumped in with reminding Stoick and Valka that Hiccup is not a baby anymore, and they are holding on to the infant who was born two months early and was given the grave diagnosis that he might not survive. However, Hiccup fought then, and still fighting today. Gobber made Stoick and Valka see that no matter what; Hiccup is eighteen-years-old, and grown up now. Stoick and Valka understood, thanks to Gobber, that if they didn't stop; they would push Hiccup away for good. The second half of the confusing evening was the five remaining populars were brought to Hiccup's house with their parents, to apologize to Hiccup and me.

I assumed it had to be part of a punishment, but I agreed to hear them out. It was everything I expected it to be, so I didn't hold back on all the things that happened to me after they abandoned me. The one thing I didn't mention was my miscarriage because I didn't want anyone else known. I knew that Eret, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, and Eret knew. Gruffnut probably did too, but he didn't appear to be with the others. And nobody had seen him since it came out he was gay and submissive. The rumor around the school was that Gruffnut dropped out after being humiliated, but I didn't know for sure, and still haven't had the chance to as Hiccup if he had anything to do with it. Hiccup was the only person who knew about my miscarriage because I told him willingly; the others found out by accident when I'd seen Nurse Mala. I didn't need everyone knowing; it was painful to talk about. So the apologies were everything I knew they would be, and it sounded rehearsed, but genuine regardless because they also apologized to Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Minden, Fishlegs, and Heather too for bullying them over the years when they did nothing wrong.

However, when Hiccup returned home, still in a ticked off mood; he was not so accepting of the gesture. Now, I said I'd take their apology, but not forgive them until they proved that they meant what they had said. And I was shocked to hear the five ask if we could be friends again, but I said that might not be possible without the approval from Hiccup and the others. And it was mentioned that they'd have to get Hiccup's forgiveness before the consideration of everyone being friends idea began. At that time, Hiccup was back and stated that he wouldn't listen to a word they said because he knew it was part of the punishment to apologize rather than doing it because the populars knew they had done wrong and chose to make amends on their own. Hiccup said that the _I'm Sorry_ would be meaningless if done this way, and then Hiccup went to his room while the populars left with their parents. It's been a week since all that, and Hiccup still won't listen to them when they try to catch him during the day or at 2 pm before he leaves with our friends and me for dragon training.

At this point, the populars had missed almost an entire month of dragon training, and it was going to hit a point where it would be too late to catch up with the lessons. Finals were in May, and it was almost April. I could see that the five were losing hope of talking to Hiccup, and apologizing; I assumed that maybe Mogadon was praying if the kids said they were genuinely sorry, maybe Hiccup would come back as the dragon trainer. It wasn't looking so promising. I was thinking about jumping in to try and convince Hiccup to hear the populars out; it was a bit unfair that Hiccup was training our friends at his house when we had all been a part of the class. I know why Hiccup was refusing with them, but taking away their chance to get their licenses to fly and train their dragons…I didn't agree with that. Nothing should stop the bond between dragon and rider. Yeah, I was going to talk to Hiccup. It was the end of the day now; Hiccup was using Saturdays and Sundays to train us because we could use full days over just an hour every day from 2 pm to 3 pm. I was waiting by Hiccup's Jeep because we had work, and he said he'd be along in a second.

"Sorry that I'm late," Hiccup said while walking up.

"It's okay. Ready for work?" I inquired.

"Eh, kind'a tired today, so not really," Hiccup admitted.

"A migraine coming on?" I asked.

"No, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," Hiccup smiled a bit. I sighed now. "What's wrong? Is someone giving you trouble?"

I shook my head to him. "Will you please talk to Eret, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, and Camicazi?" I looked at Hiccup now, watching his face turn to slight irritation.

"Why should I?" Hiccup wondered.

"Because they've been trying to apologize to you for two weeks…And you refuse to hear them out. I knew it was part of a punishment too on Monday, but I still listened. And was surprised to hear them say sorry to Snotlout and them too…" I explained. "I believe they are sorry; I mean, Eret and Thuggory jumped in to help you that night at Archia Burger when I was almost kidnapped…Nobody told them to do it; it was their choice…And they haven't bullied anyone…Please? Just listen to them. You don't have to forgive them; I didn't. I said they had to prove what they said, but I still accepted their apology…" I tried.

Hiccup sighed, mumbling under his breath. "I stand by what I said on Monday night…It shouldn't have them getting caught and punished for their actions to apologize, Astrid. Those five should know when they've messed up, gone too far or whatever, and apologize because it's the right thing to do,"

"And I get that, Hiccup, but please? For me, will you do it?" I asked.

"Why do you want this so bad?" Hiccup stared at me.

"I know you're good at reading people, Hiccup. You can tell if someone is lying from a mile away just by how they present themselves and talk. I want to know if their words on Monday night were real and if you speak to them; you'll be able to tell…Please?" I looked at him again with hopeful eyes. Again, Hiccup sighed.

"If it were anyone else asking…I wouldn't agree to this, but for you, I will, Astrid. I'm pretty sure this is their last day of detention, so I'll pull them aside to hear out whatever it is they have to say. You take the Jeep to work, and I'll be behind on Toothless before the shift starts at 4 pm," Hiccup muttered. I hugged him and nodded. "Be careful driving. You can drive the Jeep, right?"

"Yeah, I got it," I smiled. Hiccup dug the keys out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Alright. See you within the next hour," Hiccup said. I got in the Jeep and headed to get in line with the rest of the students leaving the school.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:20 pm}**_

It took forever to get out of the school lot and onto the main roads. There was a line of students trying to move in between busses; then, of course, there was waiting for the busses actually to move into central traffic. No one wanted to be behind the busses, so people wouldn't let them in. I decided to take backroads and merge in elsewhere. I was ten minutes away from work, and then I'd have plenty of time to get inside and change. I was sure Hiccup would be right behind me. I sighed out, hoping the talk went well with the five populars. Maybe if it did, I could convince Hiccup to continue training them, but it would be a bunch of make-up lessons to cover what they've missed these past three or so week. I sincerely prayed things were going okay back at the school. I was at a stop light right now and had a bit of a headache. The light turned green as I moved my foot to the gas and started forward.

Out of nowhere, someone from the right side of the intersection whipped through their red light and shot across. I hit the breaks to avoid being T-boned, but the front end of their truck rammed into the front of the Jeep but partially by the driver's side door too. The force jolted me right, then left as I smacked my head against the glass of the window and it cracked, then broke seconds after someone rear-ended the vehicle as I jerked forward and hit my head on the steering wheel. Everything got blurry; then it went black.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{3:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Prep; Conference Room)**_

 _Thank God I have Toothless, or I'll end up late for my shift…_ Hiccup muttered as he was sitting in one of the main office conference rooms after speaking with Mr. Meatsen. Hiccup knew the five were serving their last day of detention, so he had to speak with Mogadon first about releasing them to talk. Of course, that was easier said than done when Mogadon was in a meeting until 3:20 pm, and then there was more unnecessary conversation for ten minutes while Hiccup had to explain to Mogadon why he wanted the others to talk to them. Finally, though, Mogadon brought Hiccup to the conference room and called for Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna to come to the office. Hiccup knew this had to be quick because he had to get to Archia Burger to change into his work clothes before starting his shift at 4 pm. Hiccup already called Henrik to let him know he might be a bit late, and Henrik said not to worry about a thing. Hiccup had messaged Astrid, asking if she made it to work, but she hadn't answered yet.

The five entered as Hiccup looked over from his spot against the wall; he was leaning against it with his arms over his chest, and one leg over the other with the toes touching the floor but not the rest of the foot being down.

"Should I be present?" Mogadon asked.

"I think I can handle them by myself, thank you," Hiccup stated. Mogadon nodded as he stepped back, closing the door. "You have fifteen minutes to say whatever it is you've been trying to since Monday night; I will not be late to work over this. I'm only doing it because Astrid asked me to," he stated.

"We wanted to apologize to you for everything." Camicazi began.

"What defines as everything?" Hiccup asked.

"All the trouble we've caused for you," Ragna said.

"And the endless bullying," Thuggory added.

"And bringing up…" Nadia paused unsure if she should say anything. Hiccup raised his eyes to her now, waiting.

"For talking about your wife and daughter the way we did," Eret interjected. "We had no right to do that,"

"No, you certainly did not," Hiccup huffed. "And the one thing I can't seem to understand is why?" Hiccup said, staring at them now. "Why did you go through so much effort to bully me? I've never done anything to any of you. Someone…Anyone answer me that,"

"It's…Just what we did, Hiccup. We don't have an excuse for our behavior over the years," Nadia frowned.

"We liked to have control, and we became all those things you said the night of your party even though we tried to deny it," Camicazi stated.

"We didn't see how much damage we caused when we thought it was…Harmless fun," Eret added.

"I don't see how you five have made it this far in life on that belief. Did you honestly believe you weren't hurting anybody? How could you have thought that what you were doing wasn't hurting people? I mean, come on; I got my ass handed to me by Hookfang and had to go to the hospital. If that wasn't an obvious indicator, then I'm not sure you five are capable of processing basic information. It's like your adults with your brains wired to act like ruthless little toddlers; kids who don't know any better," Hiccup remarked. "Harmless fun is where it's harmless and fun for everyone, like wrestling or cracking jokes. What you all did? No, that was just awful,"

"We know, and we're sorry Hiccup. If we could take it all back, we would," Ragna said.

"Would you?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, in a heartbeat. We know we've done awful, unforgivable things…But we're trying to make amends the best we're able," Thuggory said.

"I'm having a really hard time believing you. I forgave you once, and you've not only continued to bully my friends and me but threw Astrid aside and started bullying her too. Relentlessly at that. For Thor's sake; you made her feel like she had nothing left to live for!" Hiccup said harshly but in a quieter tone. "Do you realize that she could go to the police, and they would charge you with attempted assisted suicide because you put it in her head, drove her to want to end her life. I could have had you arrested for trying to kill me with Hookfang. None of that was a wake-up call that the shit you do isn't funny?" he scoffed.

The five looked down. "Please…We're sorry, Hiccup. We really are," Nadia choked up a bit.

"We know we fucked up, and have been idiots for years. But we're trying to do the right thing, and be better people…" Camicazi informed. Hiccup stood there against the wall, and looked at them; then he sighed and turned his head to the window.

"You were right about everything you said when we learned about where you live and stuff…We were petty and jealous. But you are a good friend, Hiccup, and we want that kind of friendship in our lives," Thuggory stated.

"We could learn a lot from you," Ragna tried. Hiccup could see the sincerity in their words, and now he was faced with the choice of how to approach the matter. Sadly, even with such a decision; he already knew the answer. Closing his eyes, he faced them seriously.

"You wronged me time and time again with no real reason. As I said; I forgave you once, and you threw it in my face," Hiccup said as they tensed a bit. "However, I was raised not to hold grudges, and forgive but never forget. I am-," he stopped when his phone started ringing. Hiccup put his finger up to them, answering it. "Hello?" a pause. "This is him," another one as Hiccup's eyes widened. "What?! Where? When? Is she okay? Where is she?" he panicked. "I'm on my way," then he hung up and headed for the door.

"Hiccup? What's wrong?" Nadia asked quickly.

"I gotta go. We'll finish this later," Hiccup said as he bolted out of the room and ran out front. "TOOTHLESS!" he called. Seconds later, his dragon glided over, and Hiccup jumped on. Hiccup opened the tail, and they were out of sight in the blink of an eye.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:50 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General Hospital)**_

Hiccup made it to the hospital in record time thanks to Toothless. Landing, Hiccup sent Toothless to the stables as he rushed inside to the emergency room where the desk was.

"A female crash victim named Astrid Hofferson was brought in within the last half hour, where is she?" Hiccup asked quickly.

"What is your name and relation to her, young man?" the nurse asked. Hiccup knew if he said best friend; they wouldn't let him in.

"Hiccup Haddock, and roommate?" Hiccup tried. He couldn't use girlfriend, Astrid might kill him. But he was a roommate, technically.

"Miss Hofferson resides with my family," Hiccup whipped around seeing his mother and father standing there. "I'm her Godfather, Stoick Haddock," Stoick added. The nurse nodded, pushing the button to allow them inside the emergency room.

"Alvin called to let us know what happened," Valka told Hiccup while they were walking inside. "You weren't involved, right, son?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No…I was at the school dealing with something. I told Astrid to take the Jeep to work, and I'd meet her there. She left the school at 3:05,"

"Police and paramedics arrived on scene at 3:30ish, little before. Witnesses placed the time of the accident at 3:20," Stoick stated.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked them.

"Alvin said that a gray truck sped through a red light and hit the Jeep's front end, but a bit on the driver's side door too. The accident caused another car to slam their breaks but wasn't able to stop in time to avoid another collision, so the Jeep was rear-ended too. It's still being investigated as the driver of the truck got away," Stoick sighed. Hiccup clenched his fist; that was all he needed to know this was intentional because Astrid was alone.

"Spitelout and Alvin said they'd meet us here once everything at the accident has been dealt with," Valka added. A doctor approached them with a smile and clipboard in hand.

"Here for Astrid Hofferson?" the man asked.

"Aye, we are," Stoick nodded.

"How is she?" Valka asked instantly.

"She's awake and resting in the room just over there. Son, why don't you head in to keep her company," the doctor offered.

"Go on, Hiccup. We'll let you know," Stoick said. Hiccup nodded and moved into the room past the curtain to see Astrid laying in the bed, facing the wall; she was hooked up to monitors and things Hiccup had seen before. Astrid had some scratches on her face and head, a few bandages, and ice on her left leg.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked. Instantly, she looked at him and on the verge of tears. Hiccup went to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Hiccup…" Astrid sobbed. Hiccup was taken aback by the apology.

"What…Are you sorry for?" Hiccup inquired quickly, his hand falling on hers.

"Your…Je-Jeep is ruined because of me…" Astrid tried to bury her face. Hiccup couldn't believe it; she was more worried about his vehicle? "I-I promise I'll find a way to get you a new one…"

"Astrid, stop. No, I don't want that," Hiccup said.

"B-But it's my fault. I leave your side for one second, and people come after me. Someone…Crashing into me because they ran a red light…You know as well as I do that it was on purpose to kill me, and even though I passed out after getting rear-ended, the other driver took off…I heard doctors talking to the paramedics when I woke-," Astrid cried a little.

"Astrid, enough!" Hiccup said quickly, silencing her. "I know it was intentional. I figured it out as soon as my dad told me that the other driver took off. If it's anyone's fault here; it's mine. I shouldn't have let you go alone; I swore you'd be safe with me…And that I wouldn't leave your side, but I did; this happened because I didn't do my job. And never again will it happen…I promise you that, Astrid. As for the Jeep…I don't care,"

Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "Wh-What?" she asked.

"I don't care that the Jeep is totaled. It's just a mode of transportation, Astrid; it's a material object that can be replaced…" Hiccup said as he moved in more and hugged Astrid gently. "You can't be," her eyes widened more. "I can't just go to the store and buy another Astrid. I can't get a new best friend," he said now as Astrid brought her arms up to hug him more while silent tears fell from her eyes. "You're irreplaceable to me,"


	44. Yearning

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Yearning

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, March 25, 2022-4:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General Hospital)**_

Hiccup didn't know how long he held Astrid for, but he didn't care. Learning she had been in a car accident less than an hour after he told her to get to work, and he'd meet her there, scared him. Hiccup felt awful; he should never have left her by herself. It was his duty to protect Astrid, and he failed to do so because she convinced him to let Eret, Nadia, Thuggory, Ragna, and Camicazi apologize to him for the years of bullying they'd done. Hiccup had received a phone call from his Uncle Alvin about what happened, and Hiccup didn't care about anything else except getting to the hospital to make sure Astrid was alright after hearing that she was unconscious when police and paramedics arrived. Reaching the hospital, Hiccup caught a lucky break that his parents showed up to allow them inside. Hiccup knew his father wasn't really Astrid's Godfather, but who was going to argue with him? Stoick was the mayor and stated Astrid was living with the Haddocks. Right now, Hiccup was still with Astrid in one of the treatment rooms in the ER at the hospital. Stoick and Valka were talking to the doctor, but Hiccup knew he'd learn later what happened.

Hiccup finally pulled away from the embrace with Astrid, watching her palm away some tears, and lay back on the bed. Hiccup grabbed one of the chairs that were against the wall and pulled it up to sit at Astrid's side. "I should never have left you by yourself," he sighed.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who convinced you to stay and talk to the others," Astrid said softly.

"So, you are okay, right?" Hiccup asked.

"A headache, a couple of scrapes and bruises, but yeah; I think so," Astrid replied.

"Good…I'm glad," Hiccup tried to relax a little. There was silence between them now as Astrid felt she should apologize to Hiccup for the random kiss she gave him.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said.

"Yeah?" Hiccup responded.

"I want to apologize for the night of my birthday party," Astrid began as Hiccup arched a brow at her. "When I kissed you…" she added in a quieter voice. Hiccup turned his head the other way a bit. "I shouldn't have done that, so I'm sorry,"

"It's…Okay. Um, do you…Mind if ask why you did it?" Hiccup wondered, glancing at her but she had her head down.

"I guess I got caught up in how great the night was. I mean, the party was more than I could have ever expected…But you gave me the phone, and saving all that information from the old one…I was overcome with emotions," Astrid explained, fiddling with her fingers a bit. Hiccup knew he felt something for Astrid; it might be small, but he knew it was there. And after today, learning she'd been in the car accident, that small feeling seemed to be growing bigger. And Hiccup didn't know why either. His mind kept going back to the night of the party when he told his friends what had happened.

Their theory is that Astrid liked him, and also reminded Hiccup that he had a thing for Astrid before everything happened where she turned popular and seemed to forget about all of them. That hurt Hiccup pretty bad, but he recovered, and ended up meeting Olivia. Hiccup's feelings for Astrid faded or were buried because Hiccup put a lot into helping Olivia as she was pregnant but had cancer too. And Hiccup did fall in love with Olivia in the short year that they had together. Hiccup loved Olivia enough to marry her at the hospital before she died. Olivia became Hiccup's wife for a while ten minutes, and on her headstone; it reads Olivia Holgerson-Haddock. Along with the fact she was a loving daughter, sister, wife, and mother. However, Olivia had been gone for about five months now, and Hiccup knew that no matter what he felt for her; she wasn't coming back.

Hiccup knew that he would probably move on, and now with these feelings for Astrid resurfacing; that probably had become inevitable. The question remained if he felt something for Astrid deep enough to be with her in a relationship, something that could develop over the years. There were a lot of things to consider in this, but Hiccup knew that could be pondered on another time. For now, he just needed to decide if the feelings would be anymore more than a spark from something that used to be. That's all Hiccup felt, the spark from the kiss but could he say it's because he liked her? No. Also, even if it came down to him liking her; he wasn't sure he was ready to move on yet. At the same time; Hiccup wanted to know if Astrid felt anything for him or if it was just her being overly emotional about him saving her phone and those text messages with her parents.

Hiccup sighed, wondering if he should just ask her straight out, or leave it to chance and hope he saw something to tell him yes or not. "Hiccup? Are you okay?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay, Astrid. Just…Really glad you're okay, and I promise that I'll be a better protector," Hiccup smiled now. No; he wasn't going to ask anything. Not yet at least. Astrid smiled at Hiccup, putting her hand on his as they looked at one another. Moments after, Stoick and Valka came into the room. Valka went to hug Astrid right away, and Stoick gave her a light one afterward.

"I take it I'm gonna live?" Astrid asked.

"Couple bumps, bruises, and scrapes, but yes, you will," Stoick nodded. "The doctor said it helped that the Jeep was so big and you weren't right near the door when the truck slammed into you,"

"Yes, otherwise you may have had more injuries to your left leg," Valka added. "The doctor said he's going to release you in a few moments, and then Spitelout is going to meet us at the house so you can tell him what happened, or as much of it as you can remember,"

"I remember everything," Astrid said. "I just hope they catch the guy. Oh, was the driver who rear-ended me okay?" she wondered.

"Yes; she's alright. Took a whack to the head, but she's okay," Stoick informed. Astrid nodded, relaxing on the bed until she was released with the Haddock family around her. However, Astrid could tell that Hiccup seemed uncomfortable being here, and she had a good idea as to why; because Olivia passed away in this hospital about five months ago. It probably wasn't a good feeling for him to be back. Astrid tightened her hand on Hiccup's, but it was out of sight from his parents. Hiccup looked at her as he could read her eyes saying; _everything is going to be okay. I'm here for you_. Hiccup smiled in response as he felt the ember of his feelings for Astrid spark again.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

While Hiccup was waiting for Astrid to be released; he messaged Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna telling them that they'd finish their discussion from earlier at his house and he'd let them know when he was on his way there so that everyone could meet at the same time. Also, Hiccup and Astrid's friends were coming over because it was a Friday night, and now, Hiccup and Astrid didn't have work tonight. Hiccup took care of telling Henrik that Astrid was in an accident, and he was at the hospital with her, also that they had to deal with police looking for the guy who hit Astrid, then drove off before police arrived. Henrik said not to worry about it because he didn't mind working a double and hoped Astrid was doing okay. Astrid got released from the hospital around 4:45 pm. Hiccup took Astrid to Haddock Manor on Toothless with Stoick and Valka following with their dragons. Landing at 5:05 pm, Hiccup helped Astrid to her room because she said she wanted a shower. Once home, Hiccup let his friends and the five former popular people know he was home and they could come whenever at 5:10 pm.

Runa wasn't home yet, but Maeva and Bard would be bringing her before 7 pm. Astrid was in Stoick's office talking to Spitelout and Alvin. Frida, Adelaide, and Snotlout were already over, and Fishlegs too. Hiccup let the gate guards know he was expecting more visitors, and they were allowed in. Hiccup told Sigurd to bring the group when they arrived, to the Great Room. Looking over, Hiccup saw that Astrid returned to the room with Spitlout and Alvin.

"Not to worry, lassie; we'll find the person who did it. Everything you gave us helps a lot," Spitelout said with a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you will," Astrid nodded. Spitelout and Frida left, and Alvin shortly after all the goodbyes were said. Snotlout, Adelaide, and Fishlegs remained. Astrid sat down on the couch and relaxed; her body was sore from the accident. Dinner wouldn't be until 6:30 pm, so everyone was sitting around to killing time. Outside, the rest of the people Hiccup invited over had arrived.

"What are you five doing here?" Heather asked.

"Hiccup told us to come over," Nadia informed.

"I doubt that," Dagur rolled his eyes. Eret lifted his phone and showed the message from Hiccup.

 **Hiccup's Cell[5:11 pm]  
** _ **Come to Haddock Manor. We'll finish our conversation from earlier.**_

"What happened earlier?" Minden asked.

"Hiccup pulled us out if detention to talk to us, and we were able to apologize as we did to Astrid on Monday," Thuggory informed.

"But he got called away towards the end and said we'd finish it later; I guess that's now," Camicazi shrugged.

"Well, if Hiccup said they could be here, we can't fight him," Dagur stated. Tuffnut knocked on the door, and Sigurd answered it.

"Come. Master Hiccup said you would all be here soon. Follow me, please?" Sigurd informed. The small group entered, and he closed the door; then led them through the house to the Great Room. "Sir, your guests have arrived,"

"Thank you, Sigurd," Hiccup stated. Heather, Ruffnut, and Minden rushed over to Astrid.

"We're so thankful you're alright!" they said quickly, carefully hugging her.

"Could have been worse if Hiccup's Jeep was any smaller," Astrid said softly. Dagur and Tuffnut moved near Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Adelaide while Hiccup faced Eret, Ragna, Nadia, Thuggory, and Camicazi.

"I apologize for taking off so quickly before. Astrid was driving my Jeep and involved in an accident with two other cars. As for what I was saying before leaving; You've wronged me many times with no reason, or out of jealousy. I forgave you once, and you threw it back in my face. However; I don't tend to hold grudges against those who can show genuine guilt and sincerity in their apologies for the things they've done. Luckily for you; I saw that you meant what you said earlier, so I am going to forgive you a second time," Hiccup said as some relief washed over them.

"But," Hiccup made them tense once more. "This is your last chance. If you blow this, all bets are off, and there will not be a third time. I will take everything I know about you five, and use it to ruin you. I'm not a guy who usually resorts to revenge, and everyone here can tell you that…At the same time; I like to think of it as giving Karma a helping hand. I refuse to allow the people I care about get hurt. And if I can't stop it; I will. Is this understood?" he stared.

"Perfectly," the five replied.

"Then you are forgiven. Also, I will allow you in my circle of friends; this gives you access to everything we do. Sleepovers, parties, sitting with us at lunch; you get it. Understand that they might not fully trust or accept you right away; I do believe they mentioned on Monday night that you have some proving to do for them to see that you mean the things you say," Hiccup remarked.

"We promise you won't regret this, Hiccup," Ragna told Hiccup.

"I know I won't," Hiccup responded calmly as he walked closer. "You know what's at stake if you break that promise," he warned in a whisper that only they could hear. After that, Hiccup stepped back. "So, it's Friday night; you five feel like joining us overnight? It's an every weekend thing unless weather or I end up having to work to cover Henrik or Johann,"

"Your parents don't mind?" Camicazi asked.

"As long as Hiccup isn't doing anything illegal; we don't care what he does," Gobber chuckled.

"I doubt they brought overnight stuff, Hiccup," Valka said softly.

"Actually…Ever since that weekend, we spent here because of the bad storm; we all keep a bag with us while driving around. Clothes, pajamas, bathroom things," Nadia put her finger up.

"Now that's using your head and being prepared. Definitely sounds like something I would do," Hiccup stated. "So, was that a yes to hanging out?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," they looked at one another, then nodded and smiled at Hiccup.

"Grab your stuff and bring it in," Hiccup informed. The five hurried out to get their things and come back inside. Hiccup stopped them at the door with a firm stare. "Regardless of what was said in there; you're still all on my shit list until you prove your apologies to me. I'm doing this because I'm being the bigger man. Your apology was accepted, your actions have not been forgiven, and you have a lot of work to do to earn that forgiveness and redeem yourselves. One fuck up of any kind...And you are done. Do you understand me?" he warned.

"Yes, Hiccup," they nodded quickly.

"I'm watching you like a dragon stalking its prey...Do not take any of what you see from me lightly because you are not out of the weeds yet. I'm tolerating your presence to keep the peace because the fighting is stupid. We'll see if you are genuine or not," Hiccup said before turning and leading them back inside where the rest were.

"Where are we all staying?" Eret wondered.

"Basement might be the best bet, son; you could all sleep in the basketball court?" Stoick offered.

"And use the mats so it won't be so hard," Valka added in.

"Works for me. Come on, guys. We'll go get set up for the night," Hiccup invited. After that, Hiccup and all the friends followed him with their things to the basement. Stoick and Valka smiled, proud of Hiccup for what he did; forgiving the people who bullied him, and giving them the chance to be friends with him.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:50 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor; Great Room)**_

Everyone dropped their stuff off downstairs and picked a spot to sleep, then set up their areas for when they finally went to bed. The five new friends weren't sure how it worked because this was their first sleepover as friends of Hiccup with his friends included. Back upstairs now, everyone was sitting around and waiting for dinner, which would be at 6:30 pm.

"So, son…Anything new you're working on?" Valka asked.

"In what sense?" Hiccup questioned. Things were still pretty tense between Hiccup and his parents from Monday's argument, so they were careful with their words around him.

"Working on any new songs? Or maybe finishing older ones?" Gobber tried.

"Not really. Haven't had any inspiration since Olivia passed away," Hiccup mumbled a bit.

"That's because you never finished the song you were writing for her," Gobber rolled his eyes. Hiccup looked out the window. "I bet if you picked it up and finished it; you'd feel a bit better,"

"I don't see how," Hiccup replied.

"Because you promised her, you'd finish it, and things got so crazy that you didn't, and now she's no longer with us. You haven't finished it because you feel like you let her down. You should know by now that those who pass on are always with us, listening and watching," Stoick offered.

"Your father is right, Hiccup. Finish the song, and know she's still with you in spirit, and your daughter," Valka added.

"Olivia would want to to see you keep doing the things you love, Hiccup," came Maeva's voice as she came in holding Runa, Bard was right behind with the diaper bag and Birgir.

"Dada!" Runa said excitedly, instantly reaching for Hiccup who smiled and took her in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"What do you think, Princess? Should daddy finish his and mommy's song?" Hiccup asked his nine-month-old daughter. Runa giggled and clapped her hands. "Well, good things all that is left to do is finish the lyrics," Hiccup chuckled. "Will you take her, Mom?" Valka nodded as she took Runa from Hiccup and hurried upstairs to grab a few things, then returned with his laptop, and set up it up. After going through some files, he opened one that came up with the title; Tidal Wave.

" _I've heard it said timing's everything_ _._ _Well, everything is here now_ _._ _You never know what the day will bring_ _._ _Just be ready when it comes around_ _,"_ Hiccup started. _"_ _Life's a beach, tropic island getaway_ _._ _I came alive ever since the day…"_ there was a pause.

" _You hit me like a freight train_ _._ _Ooh, I did a double take_ _; a_ _body like a summer day_ _._ _Got a real mean undertow; holds me down, won't let me go. Love has got me swept away_ _._ _On a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave_ _._ _It's like a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave!"_ Hiccup sang, but it didn't seem like he was all into it. In fact; Hiccup looked miserable.

 _"You made a better man out of me_ _._ _'Cause in you I see the positives_ _(In you, I see the positives)_ _._ _You found the me that I fail to see_ _._ _Now I got so much more to give_ _(Now I got so much more to give),"_ Hiccup ended up getting up and moved towards the window, sitting on the sill with his back against the wall, one leg up and another one dangling over the side. Gobber stopped anyone from going to make sure he was okay.

"Let him be; it's something he needs to do," Gobber reminded them.

" _Life's a beach, tropic island getaway_ _._ _I came alive ever since the day (ever since the day)…"_ Hiccup continued.

" _You_ _hit me like a freight train_ _._ _Ooh, I did a double take_ _; a b_ _ody like a summer day_ _._ _Got a real mean undertow_ _; h_ _olds me down, won't let me go_ _._ _Love has got me swept away_ _._ _On a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave_ _._ _It's like a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave,"_ Hiccup looked out the window with the notebook against his leg that was up. However, he saw words written there, and he didn't put them there; it was Olivia's handwriting. Hiccup sat up, somewhat confused.

"What the…?" Hiccup asked as he listened to the music and looked back at his notebook. "Liv finished it…" Hiccup whispered almost. _"Ooh, I'm living now_ _._ _I'm loving now…On a tidal wave!"_ Shockingly; they his lips curve into a broad smile before opening the window and while he sang that part; it seemed the passion behind the music was coming through. _"You hit me like a freight train_ _._ _Ooh, I did a double take_ _; a_ _body like a summer day_ _._ _Got a real mean undertow_ _; h_ _olds me down, won't let me go_ _._ _Love has got me swept away_ _!"_

There was a little pause, but it didn't look like Hiccup was upset to be singing this anymore. Hiccup was smiling, tapping his foot to the beat, and dancing a little. At the time he started singing whatever Liv added in; a warm breeze whipped through the room and it looked like Hiccup's fire to finish the song was back. It did not go unnoticed that Hiccup had his hand had moved around the chain that held his and Olivia's wedding rings.

" _You hit me like a freight train_ _._ _Ooh, I did a double take_ _; a_ _body like a summer day_ _._ _Got a real mean undertow_ _; h_ _olds me down, won't let me go_ _._ _Love has got me swept away_ _._ _On a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave_ _._ _It's like a ti-ti-tidal wave, a ti-ti-tidal wave,"_ Hiccup finished. The music seemed to stop on its own as Hiccup was staring outside.

"I guess you held me to my promise, Milady. A couple of months late, but it's finished. I hope you liked it, and I hope you know how much I love and miss you," Hiccup said, not caring who years. Astrid smiled lightly, but she knew Hiccup had to be hurting. And that, in turn, hurt her because she wanted Hiccup to be happy. Astrid knew that she liked Hiccup, but his heart still was still yearning for his wife. And Astrid wanted to do was help him the best she could, but how could she when she yearned for people she too couldn't have back; her parents.

 **~Author's Note;** _Listen up folks, and listen good. I've had several people review this story telling me not to let Hiccup and Astrid forgive the five remaining people in the popular group. First off; it's my story, and I'll write it as I spent weeks planning out how it would go. Secondly; I know that the five populars don't deserve to be forgiven after all they have done to Hiccup and Astrid. However, as I am a forgiver myself; that is how I am doing this. Astrid has not forgiven them; she said she accepted their apology, but wouldn't forgive until they proved they were sorry for what they had done. As for Hiccup; he too will not be as forgiving regardless of what has been said or hinted to thus far. For me; I am the same way. Someone who has been bullied because I'm a bit slower on things, and overweight. I've had people push me around, tell me I don't belong...And I've had depression since I was fourteen-years-old. But...If someone genuinely apologizes to me after stabbing me in the back, or bullying...I will accept the apology, and make them earn my forgiveness and trust, sometimes even my friendship. So I'd like to ask that you stop telling me what the characters in my story should do and how they should act. And come on; we all know Hiccup is a kind heart who forgives at some point. He dealt with an entire island bullying and not accepting him, but he forgave Berk. He also forgave Alvin, Dagur, and even Viggo when the three of them were able to prove that they had changed. So, with that in mind; I hope I won't have to see any more reviews of people telling me how my story should go. If you have a concern, direct it to PM. And if you don't like how things are going; you're free to stop reading the story. Otherwise, sit back, enjoy the updates as they come out, and I hope you'll like the story as it continues to play out until the grand finale. Thank you always,_ -Nightstar.


	45. Waiting For An Answer

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 **~Author's Note:** _Alright everyone, listen up. This might be my last update for a while. I'm sure everyone has been wondering about the delay and I was told by harrypanther that people are wondering why she posted a chapter dedicated to me for her recent chapter of If. So, here's the short version of what happened. On Friday, June 29th at 6:50 am Eastern Standard Time, my husband and I found our apartment on fire. I will not go into details of the cause, but the bottom line is that everything is gone. The roof caved in, the structure and floor are unsafe. If something wasnt destroyed by fire, it was by water as Firefighters fought about 3 1/2 hours to get the blaze under control and out. I only have my phone, nothing else could be saved. My husband, son, and myself are all safe and unharmed. We have no home, but we're staying with my parents for the time being. It will be a while before I can get access to a new computer and start actively typing chapters again. So, I am sorry that there won't be anything for a while. I'll post up whatever have already typed and uploaded in the Doc Manager for A Complete Turnaround and Living The Dream. After they are up; that will be it. I hope you'll all still be here when I return. You can reach me on Skype at xxnightstar_furyxx. Thank you, -Nightstar_ **.~**

Waiting For An Answer

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Monday, March 28, 2022-12:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

I had to admit that I was beyond surprised to see Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna show up at Haddock Manor with Dagur, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden. I knew I had asked Hiccup to speak with them after the school day ended, but because of the accident happening; I didn't know how things played out or what was said. And I was speechless after hearing Hiccup say that not only was he going to accept their apology and forgive them, but he let the five join our group as friends under the warning not the basically screw him again, or he would ruin their lives entirely. And the scary part about that warning is that I knew it was more of a promise; Hiccup could dig up dirt, or perhaps he already had, and destroy them with it. Hearing that threat; I had no doubts that Hiccup had something to do with Gruffnut dropping out of school. Hiccup must have figured out Gruffnut was a submissive gay and sent it around the school; that was enough to make Gruffnut run out of the lunchroom and drop out. I could only imagine what else Hiccup knew about our five newest members of the group.

The sleepover was fun, surprisingly. I didn't expect Hiccup to invite them to stay Friday night, and I honestly didn't think they would have been prepared with a bag of clothes and bathroom items already on them. I guess they got the idea to have a spare set of things after the blizzard where we got stuck at Haddock Manor for two days and had nothing. I adored Hiccup's song to Olivia; I remember when she asked Hiccup to sing it in October, but Hiccup told her it wasn't finished and he would get it done for November. Sadly; I think Olivia's cancer took a turn for the worst and Hiccup pushed the song aside, and unable to complete it before Olivia passed away. I heard Hiccup promise to finish it for November, and it didn't appear that he did, so he refused to pick it up all this time. I gathered all this just by what Gobber, Valka, Stoick, Bard, and Maeve had said to him. Hearing the song, finally; I loved it. I assumed it was meant to explain how Hiccup felt meeting Olivia and the amazing time that they did have before she died.

I think the best part for me to see was that Hiccup went from miserable to happy in the middle of the song because from what I understood later on; Hiccup had never finished the lyrics, only the music. It looked like Olivia had jumped in at some point behind Hiccup's back and wrote something in for him to use, so Hiccup sang it all, and it meant the song was finished now. It was a little moving when Hiccup looked out the window, telling Olivia that it was done, and hoped she liked it. I knew Hiccup would always love Olivia, and no matter where he went into the future; she would always have a place in his heart that no one could fill. Olivia and Hiccup fell in love and did so much in so little time. Also, Olivia gave Hiccup Runa to raise. I knew that would always be special to him, and nobody could take it away. I know that if I got a chance with Hiccup; I certainly wouldn't be upset if he had some moments of just wanting to remember her. I wish I could do more to help Hiccup heal, but unfortunately; I'm in no shape to help him through a loss when I'm going through the same.

I'm still mourning and coping with the loss of my parents, and yet; I couldn't fight my feelings for Hiccup. I know what I told him in the hospital was just over-excitement, but it wasn't. I kissed Hiccup because he has been so amazing to me since Eret, Nadia, Gruffnut, Camicazi, Ragna, and Thuggory abandoned me in December. Here we are at the end of March and so much for me has changed. I have a job, a place to live, friends, and Hiccup has been there every step of the way. I secretly liked Hiccup once, but after meeting Eret; those feelings faded. It would seem now that they never truly left, and were coming back much stronger than before. Hiccup and I have been best friends for years, but when all this happened to me; Hiccup has gone above and beyond a best friend for me, and I couldn't stop what I felt for him. I just hoped I'd get a chance to tell him one day, but I knew for now that I had some things going on, and so did he, so it wasn't the best time to be admitting feelings and possibly starting a relationship IF Hiccup felt the same way. That was the biggest thing in me telling Hiccup was that he would have to feel the same for anything to progress.

But as I said; I'm dealing with loss, and so is Hiccup. The difference is that Hiccup is mourning the loss of his wife; the woman he loved, and mother of his daughter. I knew Hiccup was far from ready to move on, so for now; things would stay just as they are. There is one other big thing that's happened, and it's something that is affecting the entire island. The dragons have gotten progressively more aggressive and violent, having a hard time training them, and in some cases; they've been attacking others and raiding as they once did before the first Dragon and Viking war was ended centuries ago in the Viking Age. Nobody understood what was going on, not even Hiccup. The island was turning to Stoick to figure out a solution, and the man wasn't sure how to handle it. People part of a group who don't think dragons belong in our world are getting together to petition the removal of dragons from our lives and suggesting to use hunters and trappers to deal with the ones who attack. So far, the motion wasn't nearly large enough to outweigh those of us who felt like something else was going on, and maybe something was wrong.

Regardless, that was a matter for Stoick and people he worked with to handle, and I guess we'd see what happened. Currently, I'm with my friends in the cafeteria for lunch hour. I had to say; it was really weird being with Heather, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Minden along with our five newest members. What we did was take two octagon-shaped tables and put them together, so now we had one slightly mis-shapen figure eight table for all thirteen of us. I can't begin to tell you how many weird looks we got for it, but I guess people would get used to it sooner or later. Not that it matters because school would be over for us in June, which was only about two months away. I know that out five new additions still had to earn my forgiveness, and I believe a few of the others too. I can't just forgive what they did to me so easily, but I could tell they were trying. However, true to the words of Heather. If someone was cool with Hiccup, and he approved; then the whole group was in agreement with him. I could see they were accepting and playing along, but not totally sold on if Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna were going to stick to this _better_ side of themselves.

I could tell Hiccup seemed to be deep in thought about a few things; he's barely said a word to anyone all of lunch. "Hiccup?" he glanced at me now. "Are you okay?

"Never better, why?" Hiccup asked.

"You've been abnormally quiet all day," I stated.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. What's up, cuz?" Snotlout inquired.

"Thinking," Hiccup said.

"About?" Ruffnut pushed.

"Yeah, come on; tell us, Hic," Tuffnut added after his twin sister.

"Trying to figure out what's going on with the dragons," Hiccup admitted.

"Yeah, this whole thing has gotten worse over time. When did it start again?" Thuggory wondered.

"A little after Christmas," Nadia replied.

"Any idea on it, Hiccup?" Minden questioned.

"Not really, no. I know untrained dragons have tendencies to resort to their instincts, but usually getting them to calm down and trust us humans isn't such a difficult task. And as of late; it's been ridiculously hard, even for me," Hiccup sighed. "The part that doesn't make sense is the already trained and bonded dragons are acting strange too,"

"What's your dad gonna do? More and more people are saying that we can't live in peace with them if this doesn't stop…" Camicazi said.

"And what happens to our dragons if they can't figure out what the cause is?" Fishlegs asked, a bit fearfully.

Hiccup closed his eyes and let out another heavy sigh. "Word at the house when I talked with Mom, Dad, and a couple of Dad's work colleagues on Sunday is that if they can't find out what's wrong; then Dad might call for dragons to be sent off the island. Also, if they insist on attacking us…We'll defend ourselves…" Hiccup looked down. "Even if that means we enter the second dragon-human war…"

The people at our table gasped, me included. "So you mean we could lose our dragons?" Eret asked quickly. Hiccup nodded once.

"What…Would happen to Toothless? He can't fly without you, Hiccup," I decided to ask because I could see how much it bothered Hiccup to think about losing his Night Fury.

"That's…Not entirely true," Hiccup said. "Toothless can fly without me with an automatic tail," Hiccup sat back now. "I made it for him once, the first Christmas we had after I bonded to him. It was a black tail fin that was able to move in sync with the right one by a series of moving gears and comfortable connect pieces on the fin he still has that's real. It let Toothless fly without me but after about four days…I went outside for our morning flight, and he had pulled out the old rig that requires me to operate…Toothless destroyed the automatic one and pushed the old rig towards me. My mom said that it appeared Toothless doesn't want just to carry me like other dragons do their riders. Toothless prefers I, in a sense, fly him; that we work together and have a stronger bond than most because of that,"

"Because you built the first dragon prosthetic to allow flight. I know dragon medics can build stuff for legs, much like a human…But you, Hiccup, created a rig with no training whatsoever to allow a dragon that was grounded to fly again," Fishlegs reminded.

Hiccup only shrugged. "After we bonded, I had to do something. I tried so many different things that failed, but finally…I got the one he has now, which has been modified a few times from the first fully finished product,"

"How did you make it anyway? I mean, it looks severely outdated compared to modern day technology of prosthetics," Ragna asked.

"That's because Toothess's rig is outdated from modern day things. The century we live didn't have what was needed to fix a dragon's flight, especially one that is missing an imperative fin. I went a bit old school with the pieces on Toothless's rig. In the sense that it's forged, and built by hand, not a machine. A rig created with leather, metal, rope, pulleys, pedals. You can't find something like that modernized. Dragon medics have tried to replicate what I did, and they've failed in every attempt over the last three or so years," Hiccup chuckled a little. "A bit satisfying that trained professionals can't do what I did at fifteen-years-old,"

"So how are we going to handle this dragon thing? I don't want to lose my dragon…" Nadia frowned.

"There isn't much I can do; I've already talked to my dad about it. And as usual; he's not listening to a word I say…" Hiccup mumbled. "I tried to argue the point with him last night that Toothless doesn't seem to be affected by whatever is going on, so whatever it is…He can't blame the dragons and use the reason they are just returning to their natural state…" he explained. "Something else is going on, and if my dad isn't going to listen to me; then I gotta figure it out quick, or not only do we lose our dragons, but we'll be at war with them too…" he added in a grave tone as we all looked at him worried. "Don't worry, guys; we won't lose our dragons…I'll personally see to it," he added.

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:55 pm}**_

 _ **(A-Hall)**_

I met up with Minden, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Heather at the main office and Hiccup rounded the corner to join us. I noticed our five newest additions preparing to leave for their Study Hall. Hiccup watched, then moved to cut them off.

"Hey, where you five going? Dragon Training is this way," Hiccup stated, motioning with his hand.

"You said you weren't teaching us anymore," Thuggory reminded.

"I said I wouldn't teach a bunch of assholes who weren't my friends. You five are friends, so let's go; you got a lot of catching up to do. Already spoke to Mr. Meatsen about it," Hiccup remarked. "You meet here every day Monday through Friday at 2 pm, and we go to my house and train until 3 pm. And Saturdays and Sundays, you're with me all day from 9 am to 5 pm. That's the only way I can make sure you five catch up in time for Finals in May," he added. The five smiled and nodded their heads. Without another word; the thirteen of them were gone from the student lot. Astrid rode with Hiccup on Toothless with the dragons following them, and the rest were piled into cars for easier transportation to and from.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, March 31, 2022-3 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

"Good work today, guys. Seriously," Hiccup told his friends. It was hard for Snotlout, Minden, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Heather, or Astrid because they'd done it all over the last couple of weeks. However, it worked out because Hiccup could pair Eret, Nadia, Thuggory, Camicazi, and Ragna up with one of the others, and it helped in the long run for everyone getting to do the same thing, and learn it faster. Hiccup had a whole plan set out for how to catch them up, and he had Dagur's help too. It had been a few days since the training had started once more. After everyone left, Hiccup and Astrid would go to work, or just Hiccup would if Astrid had the day off. Hiccup wasn't working Fridays, Saturdays, or Sunday anymore because he had the training to take care of.

"Still having a sleepover tomorrow?" Eret asked.

"Every Friday unless weather or another event," Snotlout said.

"And we're staying all weekend until Sunday night, right?" Camicazi wondered.

Hiccup returned outside in his work uniform. "Yep. Pretty sure your parents don't mind, but double check anyway. It's the only way I can make sure you learn everything in time, and have time to review or ask questions for things you aren't sure on and would like to practice excusively,"

"Got it. See you tomorrow, Hiccup," Nadia waved. Hiccup whistled for Toothless, who bounded over happily. Hiccup jumped on his back and opened the tail; Toothless launched into the sky heading for the center of the island to get to work.

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:45 am}**_

 _ **(Berk)**_

Hiccup was tired but happy to be on his way home. With him now eighteen; the Archia burger hours had changed so that they were open until 1 am. And closing the doors and leaving didn't happen until 1:30 am. Thankfully, he and Toothless were about five minutes out from landing at Haddock Manor. Suddenly, Toothless's ears perked up and began twitching around.

"Toothless, what's up bud?" Hiccup asked him. Toothless growled a bit, looking around before finally diving to whip around and veering off course from their destination. "Uh, where are we going?" Toothless make any noise in response, but he did pick up speed and was taking them West of Berk now. For nearly an hour, there was nothing but open sea until Hiccup and Toothless reached what appeared to be a wall of fog. Toothless had stopped, hovering, and stared. Hiccup inspected it.

"Why'd you bring us here, Toothless?" Hiccup asked. Toothless growled a bit, motioning inside. "Is there something in there, bud?" Toothless gave a low warble. Hiccup looked forward, narrowing his eyes. "Take us in," he stated. Toothless shot forward into the fog as Hiccup tried to adjust his eyes to see better. There were other growls, wings flapping, and more; Hiccup recognized it as other dragons. Finally, five minutes later; they broke through and saw a mass of dragons flying towards another island with a volcano. Hiccup could see the smoke spewing from the top and bits of lava coming down the sides or through small holes.

 _An active volcano? Thought those were extinguished for good way back in the day…This is Dragon Island and final resting place of the Red Death from centuries ago._ Hiccup thought while inspecting more. Hiccup took notice of how aggressive the dragons were with one another while flying. Soon, Toothless was taking them inside a hole on the side of the mountain with another group of dragons in front and behind. After a series of turns; Toothless emerged in what appeared to be the volcano, but a set of rock formations and nothing but smoke and hear farther down where Hiccup assumed was lava. Toothless took refuge on one rock, watching closely.

There was a roar that made any dragons inside fall silent. Hiccup watched as a Gronckle flew in and stopped over the hole to scratch the back of its head. Suddenly, a massive head shot up as Hiccup's eyes widened. "No…No; it can't be…" Hiccup breathed out. A massive beast with three pairs of eyes; it bit the Gronckle down in one bite. Hiccup knew exactly what this thing was, and why the dragons were acting so oddly. This dragon was the Viking Legend, The Red Death. The dragon sniffed the air, turning its attention to Hiccup and Toothless. "O-Okay, time to go Toothless!" Hiccup panicked. The creature made a snap for them, and Toothless bolted. However, escaping would not be easy as there was a flurry of dragons trying to get out to avoid being eaten. Red Death was right on them, blocking exits out and shooting her fire. Hiccup only prayed that he and Toothless could evade and get out before either of them were seriously injured or ended up dead.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, April 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2022-4:30 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

"I'm worried, Stoick…" Valka expressed as she, Gobber, Stoick, and Astrid were all sitting in the Great Room, waiting up for Hiccup to get home.

"I am too, Val. But what would you like me to do? Hiccup wouldn't answer at work, nor is he on the cell," Stoick said. Finally, Toothless's roar was heard as they quickly rose and looked outside after flipping the lights on. Toothless landed in the backyard, and it was a hard one which accidentally threw Hiccup off as he landed hard and rolled to a stop almost.

"Hiccup!" Astrid said with worry.

"Laddie! Are ya alright?" Gobber asked as they rushed to get to Hiccup. Hiccup tried to push himself up, coughing hard.

"Where in Thor's name have you been!?" Stoick demanded. "It's almost five in the morning!"

"Stoick, stop," Valka demanded. "Son, what's wrong?" Hiccup panted, trying to catch his breath, but it was too much, and he passed out. Stoick and Gobber caught him, but Hiccup didn't wake up despite the many attempts to awaken him with soft shaking and pleas.

"Val, call an ambulance!" Stoick told her. Valka nodded grabbing her phone and making the call. By 4:45 am; Hiccup was being transported to Archia General Hospital with Valka. Gobber, Stoick, Runa, and Astrid took Stoick's truck to follow. The only thing any of them could wonder was why Hiccup was home so late, and why he was ranting, seeming afraid then passed out. The four adults were hoping that the hospital could offer more answers, and if not that; then they would have to wait for Hiccup to wake up.


	46. Just Pray

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Just Pray

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 1, 2022-12:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)**_

"I'm just going to call Hiccup," Snotlout said.

"And I'll try Astrid," Heather stated. All day the friends wondered where Hiccup and Astrid were because they haven't seen them. Their dragons weren't present, and the two weren't spotted in any of the classes they shared with different friends. Snotlout raised his phone and tried to call Hiccup's cell phone, but after six rings; he hung up.

"No answer for Hiccup," Snotlout reported. Heather was bringing down her phone too, shaking her head.

"Same with Astrid," Heather informed.

"Something doesn't seem right," Camicazi said. "Why would both not show up or answer?" she wondered.

"Snotlout, why don't you try Aunt Val or Uncle Stoick?" Fishlegs suggested. Snotlout nodded, calling his Aunt Valka next. After three rings, there was a pickup. "Aunt Val? Hi, it's Snotlout. Um, the guy and girls plus I are wondering where Hiccup and Astrid are today?" there was a brief pause as Snotlout's eyes widened a little. "What do you mean?" more silence and waiting. "Is he okay?" it was starting to sound a little worrisome now, but the group remained quiet so Snotlout could hear. "Okay, I understand, Auntie. I'll let them know. Can you keep us posted?" Seconds later; he ended the called.

"What happened?" Minden inquired quickly, resting her hand on Snotlout's arm.

"Hiccup is in the hospital," Snotlout said as the other ten gasped in disbelief.

"Whatever for?" Nadia wondered.

"I guess Hiccup didn't get home from work last night until about 4:30 am, and Toothless had some hard landing, and it threw Hiccup off him. Hiccup was breathing heavy, looked like he'd been fighting with fire, and ended passing out. By 4:45 am; he was being transported to Archia General because they couldn't wake him up, and he's still out too. Gobber, Uncle Stoick, and Astrid are there too," Snotlout explained.

"That doesn't make sense. Archia Burger closes at 1 am, and they're all out, at best, by 1:45 am. And it only takes about fifteen to twenty minutes for him to get home on Toothless. Where was he for almost three hours?" Ruffnut looked around the table.

"I don't know, but safe to say that there won't be training today," Thuggory reminded.

"We should go after school to see him," Heather suggested.

"I agree," Ragna nodded. With the eleven in agreement; they sat back and continued to eat, but were worried about their friend.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General Hospital)**_

After Heather called Dagur, and everyone had permission to leave at 2 pm from a parent; the twelve friends left the school to get to the hospital so that they could see Hiccup. According to Snotlout, Valka hadn't given any updates, and the assumption was because Hiccup was still knocked out. After being checked in and having permission to all see Hiccup; a nurse led the group to Hiccup's room and knocked first. A quiet _come in_ was heard, and then they filed in slowly. Hiccup was unconscious in the bed, hooked up to an IV and some monitors. Gobber was against the window, Astrid was sitting in a chair next to Gobber and surprisingly; she was holding Runa, who was fast asleep in her arms. Valka was beside Hiccup, holding his hand while Stoick stood next to his wife.

"Oh, kids…You came," Valka said softly.

"We had to. Hiccup is our best friend," Minden said.

"How long has he been knocked out for now?" Tuffnut asked.

"It's almost 2:30 pm now. Hiccup got home at 4:30 am. About ten hours," Gobber stated.

"And there's no reason as to why?" Eret wondered.

"Unfortunately, no. The doctor on staff earlier this morning when we arrived said that it appears Hiccup had been in a place that was hot, and definitely around fire because his clothes looked slightly burned. Also, the coughing might have been due to smoke inhalation," Stoick started to explain.

"But they have no idea why he'd pass out, and stay out this long," Astrid added from her place. "Coughing to hard and unable to catch your breath can make you pass out, but they didn't think it would stay in effect this long,"

"We can't get any answers until Hiccup wakes up," Valka sighed sadly.

"I'm sure he will, Val," Stoick comforted. Toothless was at the hospital too, but he was outside the window and sitting loyally with worry for his owner. Fifteen minutes went by as the friends noticed Toothless after hearing him warble, and slightly paw at the window. Toothless whined again as Gobber opened the window and Toothless stuck his head in, sniffing; then trilled and gave a throaty purr for his human to awaken. Hiccup's hand tightened on his mother's as she gasped and lifted her head.

"Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"What is it?" Stoick asked.

"I-I felt his hand tighten on mine. Hiccup? Son, it's Mom," Valka tried. Hiccup's face showed slight movement, and his eyes were moving around behind the lids, trying to open. "That's it, my boy. Come back; we're all here…" she stood up, gently stroking her thumb over his cheek, and moving some of his bangs out of the way. Toothless gave a slight whine, and Hiccup's eyes snapped open fast.

"Toothless!" Hiccup sat up quickly, panting and looking around for his dragon. Toothless tried to get in more, but couldn't. Instead, the Night Fury warbled with worry as Hiccup tried to relax. "Oh, thank Thor…You're alright, bud," he laid back with his hands over his face, attempting to slow his breathing.

"Easy, son…" Stoick stated, not wanting Hiccup to pass out again. Hiccup finally calmed a little and lowered his hands. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…I think so. Where…Am I?" Hiccup asked.

"The hospital, laddie," Gobber said while getting off the window to move next to him. "Been here since about 5 am this mornin'," he added.

"What…Happened to me?" Hiccup inquired, his eyes falling on Astrid, who was holding Runa.

"You got home around 4:30 am, and passed out," Astrid said lightly, rising to her feet to get closer. Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to remember what happened.

"Do you remember anything?" Valka tried.

"Not…Really. I got off work at 1:40 ish, and was minutes from being home…Everything gets fuzzy after that. A lot of dragons, fire…" Hiccup had his eyes closed, trying to recall the events.

"Don't try to force it, son," Stoick advised. Runa began to fidget and whimper. Astrid tried to relax her but to no avail.

"Here, let me see her," Hiccup forced himself to sit up more as Astrid handed Runa to him. Hiccup got the pacifier and bounced Runa a little in his arms while getting her to retake the binky. Slowly, Runa drifted to sleep after a few minutes. "So…Am I allowed to go home?" he asked.

"I'm sure the doctor will want to check you out first," Gobber said.

"Well, I feel fine, and I can't remember what happened anyway…So there's no point in staying," Hiccup stated. Unknown to them, Hiccup did know what took place; he wasn't saying anything because he didn't know how to tell anyone that the legendary Red Death was among them, living in a volcano an hour by dragon flight away, West of Berk. Hiccup knew that he and Toothless barely escaped, and they were flying together. Red Death controlled other dragons; nobody stood a chance against that thing without their dragons. And the dragons could be taken over by Red Death.

"We'll speak to the doctor about getting you released," Stoick replied, pulling Valka with him. Hiccup sighed, looking out the window at Toothless.

"Alright, spill it," Gobber told Hiccup.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked.

"Come on, kiddo. I know ya better than you think I do; you remember what happened. So out with it," Gobber stated. Hiccup closed his eyes.

"On the way home last night; Toothless sensed something and changed course from the house…We headed West and flew for about an hour over the water. We hit this fog wall, and Toothless took us in. Sea stacks, rock formations, a lot to avoid in zero visibility. A lot of other dragons were drawn in too, aggressive and wild. Beyond the fog is an island with a very much active volcano…And the cause of the dragon's recent behavior is sitting in the corona," Hiccup said quietly.

"Wait a second. You mean Dragon Island? The final resting place of Red Death from like, centuries ago when the first dragon war ended by one of your ancestors from the Viking Age?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Hang on, what?" the five new friends blinked.

"Centuries ago during the Viking Age and first Dragon/Human war; one of the Haddock Family ancestors bonded with a dragon and found the Red Death as the source of the raids. Together, rider and dragon defeated it and caused the peace that we have today with dragons," Heather explained.

"Red Death? That big, like, mountain-sized dragon? One of Hiccup's ancestors defeated that thing?" Ragna asked.

"That's right," Gobber informed.

"So we've got another dragon making the dragons act this way…How do we stop it?" Camicazi asked.

"There are only two dragons in existence who possess the ability to control other dragons. Red Death, and a Bewilderbeast," Hiccup kept his head down. Their eyes widened.

"This is bad…Really bad! Why would you keep that kind of information to yourself!" Astrid scolded.

"That's what I'd like to know," Stoick said, entering the room once more. Hiccup handed Runa to his mother as Hiccup took off the things connecting him to monitors, and then removed the IV himself before getting to his feet. "You will explain yourself, right now, boy," Stoick ordered.

"I'm not telling you anything while we're here; it'll start a panic," Hiccup remarked. The doctor came in to remove everything but was surprised to find it already off. Hiccup took the clipboard and signed the line, then handed it back. Hiccup left the hospital room and got outside where Toothless was waiting for him. Seconds later; the two were gone.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

As soon as Hiccup had left the hospital with Toothless; the rest followed wanting to one, make sure Hiccup was okay as he'd been knocked out for ten hours, and two, to find out what the heck happened. Valka, Gobber, Runa, Astrid, and Stoick were in Gobber's truck, and the rest of the friends trailed behind with their vehicles. Of course, as soon as Stoick got in the door; he and Hiccup were arguing.

"Hiccup, not another step. You will tell me what happened last night!" Stoick demanded.

"I found the source of the problems," Hiccup said.

"Obviously! Now, tell me what we're dealing with. I assume it's dragons, as everyone believes it is," Stoick muttered.

"It's not their fault, Dad!" Hiccup argued.

"It still them doing all this, whether it's their fault or not, son. I have to protect Archia Isle! And your withholding information!" Stoick accused.

"Damn right I am! You can't fight this; you'll end up dead!" Hiccup stated firmly.

"That's a risk I take, but the island is my top priority. And if you're not going to tell me how to deal with this…Then I have no choice but to remove the dragons from the island," Stoick said.

"It's not their fault! They're doing it because they have no choice…Orders from something much bigger," Hiccup tried.

"Then we'll deal with the bigger, Hiccup. Just tell me what we're up against!" Stoick commanded loudly.

"Red Death," Hiccup said as everyone froze in the room, fear grabbing hold.

"That's insane, Hiccup. That beast was defeated centuries ago, and no others have been seen!" Stoick countered.

"Crazy or not, that's what it is! I saw it, Dad! And spent hours hiding out and trying to avoid getting killed by it, why do you think I was home so late and passed out. I couldn't believe it either, but I swear to you that it's the truth," Hiccup pushed.

"Take me to it then; I want to see it with my own eyes," Stoick said.

"No! That's insane!" Hiccup stepped back. "I will not take you to it. I know how you are! Every bit of boar-headed, stubborn as any Viking would be,"

"It runs in the family, son. If you expect me to believe that Red Death is out there, then I want proof. Something tells me you're only saying all this to protect Toothless," Stoick sighed.

"I'm protecting all the dragons! And the residents here! I'm not telling you anything, and I refuse to take you to the island!" Hiccup yelled. Stoick stopped quickly.

"The island?!" Stoick asked. "So you've seen it?"

Hiccup tensed and grew nervous. "Did I say island?" Hiccup gulped. Stoick got closer to him.

"Where is it, Hiccup?" Stoick demanded. "How did you find it?!"

"I-I don't know. It was like 2 am, and Toothless was the one to find it," Hiccup informed. And it was the instant he knew exactly what he'd said. "No…Dad, no. Please…" Hiccup begged when he saw the look in his father's eyes.

Stoick pulled his phone, calling someone. "Ready whatever fighter dragon riders we have. I know how to stop these dragon attacks, and round up anyone willing to fight a battle for the island," after that, the call ended, and Stoick slipped his phone away.

"Dad, no. You don't know what you're doing…It's like nothing you've ever seen before. This thing eats other dragons; it's massive…You'll never win! Don't do this! We can find other ways to handle the dragons, but you can't win this!" Hiccup tried again. Stoick walked away from him, but Hiccup ran after and held Stoick's arm. "FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!" he yelled. Stoick jerked his arm and Hiccup was thrown to the ground hard.

Panting, Hiccup looked up at his father. "You've kept vital information from your kind to protect those dragons, while the people here have been getting hurt and suffering so you could protect your pet Night Fury…" Stoick glared as Hiccup's eyes widened. "You lied to me saying you didn't know the location, but then reveal its in an island that Toothless brought you too. You've shown who you want to protect by throwing your lot in with the dragons. You're not a resident of this island…You're not my son,"

Entirely crushed by what his father said, Hiccup watched his old man go outside and secure Toothless and leave with him. Gobber and Snotlout helped Hiccup off, who still looked floored by what his dad said to him. Hiccup forced himself into a chair, hands covering his face. "What have I done…" he whispered. "I just condemned all those people to death…"

Astrid moved in front of Hiccup now, crouching down with her hands on his knees. "Hiccup… What do we do?"

"Why are you asking me? What can I do? I just got disowned, cast out, and my dragon taken from me…" Hiccup said.

"Stop talking like that; you know your dad is just mad about the situation," Astrid reminded.

"That I got us into…I should never have gone…I could have…Turned Toothless around or something…" Hiccup said, defeated.

"Hiccup, stop and listen for a second. You dealt with Red Death early this morning…How did you get away?" Astrid asked.

"A lot of insane evading…" Hiccup replied.

"So can't we all attack from the sky with our dragons?" Eret asked.

"Impossible. The other dragons won't listen; Red Death controls them," Hiccup sighed. "You'd never get close enough,"

"Tell me something Hiccup, you know all the history of your family, right? It was one of your family members that defeated this thing centuries ago, right?" Astrid questioned, and Hiccup nodded. "How was it done?"

"The first dragon war ended thanks to the heroic efforts of Hiccup's ancestor and his dragon. He was the first Viking to bond with and ride a dragon, and the two defeated Red Death together, ending a three-hundred-year-old war and creating the peace we have today, as I said at the hospital," Gobber responded.

"What does any of that have to do with me?" Hiccup stood up now. "What does any of this information tell me on how to stop Dad and a bunch of others from getting killed!"

"Stop sulking, get up, and think! How can we do this! We're all standing with you, Hiccup; we believe in you, that you know how to stop this…" Astrid pleaded.

"The lassie is right, 'Iccup…We know you can do this…But you have to believe in yourself…" Gobber added. Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to think of an idea.

"Didn't he say the other day at lunch that Toothless isn't affected by whatever was happening to the dragons?" Ragna stated, but Hiccup heard it, and his eyes snapped open in realization.

"Th-That's it…" Hiccup said quickly.

"What is?" Valka inquired.

"The answer on how to stop this…The other dragons are under Red Death's control if they get too close to it…But Toothless and I were on that island, in the volcano…And he never got affected…" Hiccup breathed out.

"Oh, no…I know that look in your eyes, boy. You're gonna do something stupid…" Gobber sighed.

"I did something stupid by telling my dad all he needed to know to find the island…Now, it's time to do something crazy," Hiccup said as he hurried outside and saddled Stormfly, then jumped on her back. "Saddle up…I'm gonna need your help, and to get Toothless back," Not arguing, the others readied their dragons. Hiccup pulled Astrid up behind him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Valka and Gobber too after Runa was given to one of the staff to watch over in their absence. Twenty minutes later, they were ready and took to the sky.

"Are you sure you know what we're doing?" Dagur asked.

Hiccup nodded. "I just pray we make it in time," Hiccup said as Astrid was sitting behind him on Stormfly. Soon, they were all headed West.


	47. The Rise And Fall

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 ***Author's Note;** _Good news everyone. It's been about a week, and though I'm still living in my parents' pop-up camper; I have a new laptop. So, when I have the time between getting important documents and looking for a new apartment; I will be typing up new chapters for both A Complete Turnaround and Living The Dream. Might take a bit of time, but I will get you all a new chapter for both by the end of this week. Oh, and this chapter has been reuploaded because I made some fixes on it. I thank you all for the continued support and for being patient in waiting for me to get back on my feet after this whole fire thing. That being said; a new chap will be up soon. Thanks! -Nightstar._ *****

The Rise And Fall

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 1, 2022-4:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Barbaric Archipelago; Dragon Island)**_

It took a bit of time with Stoick riding Toothless, but the Mayor of Archia himself led the team to Dragon Island; a location West of Berk and about an hour away. The dragons easily made it through the thick fog, and soon the volcanic island was revealed to them. Stoick and many other stared in awe, and surprise. Toothless had been the one to get the most of the way, and only because Stoick ordered Toothless to take them where they had to go, or he would never see Hiccup again. Toothless didn't want to be taken away from his human, so he obeyed and led the mass group to the island. It was a military battalion being deployed to war; there were so many people who turned out in such a little time to take care of this big dragon Stoick warned them was the cause of their dragons action so strangely. Reaching land, the dragons carefully set down and there was nothing but silence.

"Orders, Stoick?" Spitelout inquired, landing with Kingstail; his male Deadly Nadder.

"Use what we have, and attack that mountain until it cracks open. We'll take it by storm," Stoick said. Spitelout nodded, beginning to call out orders. "Whatever happens; it ends today!" he announced to the others. "Attack!" he called. Hollering and cheering, they used whatever they could. Rocks, guns, old-style weapons, even a couple of catapults. One rock hit the mountain, leaving a massive hole open. Dragons took to the sky, racing to get away in mass groups. Even the bonded and trained dragons seemed to retreat away from the island.

"Was that it?" Alvin asked. People began to cheer more, glad to have finished it.

"There's no way that was all of it," Spitelout rolled his eyes.

"Not a chance," Stoick agreed with Spitelout. "Hold your positions, and stay together," no sooner than the words left his mouth; the island began to shake violently.

"Over there," someone shouted bringing the attention to the hole they'd opened. The mountain began to crack more as breaking through the ground of the opening; a massive dragon rose as everyone's eyes widened, slowly backing away as the beast revealed itself. Stoick couldn't find it in himself to move.

"Odin help us…" Stoick breathed out.

"Stoick!" Alvin said. No answer.

"Stoick, what do we do!? You said big dragon, not a Red Death!" Spitelout shook his brother from his state of shock.

Stoick looked down, trying to figure out how to handle this. "I should have listened to…I was a fool," Stoick said, angry at himself. He should have listened to his son; his only son. Hiccup was right, and now Stoick had endangered many people by refusing to listen to Hiccup. "Evacuate!" he called.

"With what!? The dragons left, and we have no other way off the island!" Spitelout scolded.

"Lead them to the far side of the island!" Stoick commanded.

"What of you!?" Alvin asked.

"I can buy you a few minutes if I give that thing something to hunt…Go!" Stoick ordered. Spitelout and Alvin nodded. Stoick picked up a spear and threw it at Red Death to get the dragon's attention; it worked too. Red Death prepared to fire at Stoick as he covered his head to block himself even though it would be futile.

"FIRE!" a voice called. Stoick looked up, surprised and was shocked to see his wife, Gobber, and all of Hiccup's friends, including Hiccup on dragons; they fired a joint blast at the back of Red Death's head to throw it off and disorientate it for a few moments. The others landed as Stoick laid eyes on Hiccup.

"What…Are you doing here?" Stoick asked.

"What does it look like? I'm saving your butt," Hiccup retorted as Toothless hurried over to Hiccup, licking his cheek affectionately. "Hi, bud…" Hiccup rubbed his head. Red Death roared out, trying to focus once more. The dragons, though, they took off and wouldn't return when called.

"Hiccup, our dragons won't listen," Astrid said quickly.

"I know…I told you they wouldn't…Red Death controls them," Hiccup sighed; then he glanced at his father before glaring. "This is entirely your fault," Stoick looked down. "I told you that this was dangerous, and you couldn't handle it; that you couldn't win! Why in the name of Thor would you bring all the dragons here, ones that thing will take control over?! You're defenseless without dragons, and it's not even their fault like I told you!"

"I-I know, and I'm sorry I didn't listen…," Stoick said.

"You never do! I wasn't keeping secrets; I didn't know how to tell you or anyone that the Red Death from centuries ago had a kid or something and is living among us in the present day. I just wanted to make sure that we had some kind of strategy before coming after this thing! This is not a battle you charge into weapons blazing; this takes months of preparation, maybe longer!" Hiccup said.

"I should have listened to you…" Stoick admitted.

"Hiccup…Red Death is recovering…We need to do something…" Fishlegs squeaked in fear. Hiccup looked behind him at Red Death; then he saw everyone from around the island looking scared and not sure what to do; they had nothing to get away with because then dragons fled to get away from Red Death's control. Hiccup knew there was only one option left. Astrid saw something in Hiccup's eyes. Toothless snorted and motioned to Hiccup to get on his back. Hiccup headed for him his dragon.

"You got it, bud," Hiccup said.

"Hiccup…No. No; I know that look," Astrid said quickly.

"What's going on?" Stoick asked.

"Hiccup's gonna take Red Death on himself!" Astrid informed.

"What? Hiccup, no! It's suicide," Valka pleaded.

"How can't you even consider this to be a good idea? One man and one dragon against that?!" Heather screeched

"It's been done before," Gobber shrugged.

"Gobber!" Stoick scolded.

"What, Stoick? I didn't say I agree with his plan, but it has been done before, and you know exactly what I'm talking about…" Gobber reminded.

"What are they talking about?" Thuggory asked.

Stoick sighed as Gobber rolled his eyes. "Centuries ago, the ending of the three-hundred-year-old war between dragons and human was because of Hiccup's ancestor taking on a Red Death with his dragon. Just the two of them, and they won," Gobber explained.

"Yeah, you told us that at the house…What's it got to do with this?" Camicazi asked.

"And what none of you know because very few people know how to access the information is that my ancestor had a Night Fury. Because they are the only dragons that Red Death can't seem to take control of," Hiccup said. "My ancestor stopped a war that had been going on for hundreds of years, and now it's up to Toothless and me to stop a war from starting…" Hiccup grabbed the saddle and hauled himself on it, getting his legs in place on the stirrups. Red Death roared out, making everyone back up a bit. Stoick grabbed Hiccup's hand, looking afraid and fearful for his son.

"Son, no…It's my job to protect the island…" Stoick said. "Hiccup…I'm sorry. F-For everything…" he added.

Hiccup stared. "Yeah, me too…" he replied.

"You don't have to go up there," Stoick tried.

"As the Vikings would say; it's an occupational hazard. I told you…I don't want to lead people; I want to protect them. So let me do this…" Hiccup said.

Stoick smiled nodding. "I'm proud to call you my son," Stoick let go and stepped back. Valka kissed Hiccup's forehead, crying a bit. Gobber patted him on the back with a smile.

"You give that beast a run for its money, kiddo," Gobber encouraged.

"Oh, we will…" Hiccup replied.

"Good luck, Hiccup," Dagur said as the others nodded.

"Be safe," Heather added. Hiccup shook his head. Astrid put her hand on Hiccup's, grasping it slightly.

"Please don't go…" Astrid asked softly, trying not to cry. "I can't lose you too…"

Hiccup leaned over, lifting her chin. "You won't, I promise…But it has to be me; Toothless and I have to do this," then he kissed her cheek. Astrid smiled, blushing a bit and nodding. Astrid stepped back from him as Hiccup held the handlebars of the saddle. "Let's go, bud!" he called. Toothless crouched with a growl and launched into the sky as everyone watched. Toothless got in closer, then shot a warning blast, roaring at Red Death. Toothless started climbing higher as Hiccup looked back to see it wanting to go after the people on the ground, then he noticed something on the dragon. Wings.

"That thing has wings…Okay, let's see if it can use them!" Toothless fell slightly and whipped around, going in for a dive. "Make it count, bud. Let's get its attention," Toothless gave a huff-like reply as they got closer. "Now!" he called. Toothless charged a blast and fired it once they were in position. The blast hit hard, knocking Red Death over on its side as Hiccup and Toothless pulled out of the dive and veered off to get out of range. The dragon too deep breaths, then got up, raising its wings. The group on the ground watched in shock.

"It can fly!?" a few said in disbelief. Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Astrid never took their eyes off the sky. Red Death took to the air, following Hiccup and Toothless.

"Well, it can fly," Hiccup said. Toothless picked up speed to keep the dragon following them. Red Death made a snap for them, and missed, then collected some gas in its mouth. "Here it comes…" Hiccup warned. Toothless darted left as the blast fired; Hiccup and Toothless narrowly missed being hit. "Time to disappear, come on, bud!" Hiccup cheered while changing the tail's positioning and they shot upward with Red Death following.

"Ah-hah! Smart laddie! Using the dark skies to hide with Toothless!" Gobber cheered with the others. "I knew he knew what he was doing,"

"It's not over yet, Gobber…" Valka reminded, staying close to Stoick. Red Death seemed to be hovering, looking around for the Night Fury, and Hiccup. Without warning, they saw Toothless whip into sight and fire a blast at Red Death and then dodged out of sight before the dragon. This happened over and over again with Hiccup and Toothless avoiding being caught; a total of at least eight shots hit Red Death's wings. Things were looking up; Hiccup was actually winning.

 _You've got this, Hiccup…_ Astrid thought, silently praying that Hiccup would be alright. Red Death grew annoyed as it prepared a blast and fired it all around to get Hiccup and Toothless out, and it worked. Toothless flew by the stream of fire as the tail fin caught fire. "Oh, Gods no…The tail!" Astrid panicked.

"If that tail goes, Hiccup and Toothless will lose altitude and plummet!" Fishlegs said fearfully. In the sky, Hiccup saw what happened.

"Okay…Time's up…Let's see if this works," Hiccup gulped a bit. Hiccup whipped Toothless around to fly by Red Death. "Come on! That the best you can do!?" he taunted as Toothless matched it with a roar of his own. Red Death followed after them.

"They're in a dive!" Thuggory announced, pointing upward at the figure of Toothless heading straight down with Red Death following right behind, trying to snap at them.

"Stay with me buddy, we're good. Just a little bit longer…" Hiccup urged. The ground was getting closer now. "Hold, Toothless…" Hiccup said quietly knowing his friend heard. Hiccup listened for the gas to form and at the last second; his eyes opened. "NOW!" Hiccup yelled as Toothless turned, falling back first and shot a high-powered blast at the gas in Red Death's mouth. Instantly, the dragon's eyes widened, and it tried to put out its wings to slow the descent to the ground, but to no avail. Red Death's wings began to burn from the inside out. Hiccup and Toothless pulled up as Red Death hit the ground, face full of fire first. The beast exploded upon contact. The body began to burn up as Hiccup and Toothless were flying to escape.

"Where's my baby!" Valka demanded with worry.

"There! Heading up the tail!" Dagur informed. Hiccup tried to work the pedal, but the tail was gone and snapped off the rig.

"No…" Hiccup said breathlessly as he looked up seeing the end of Red Death's clubbed tail nearing. Toothless was losing altitude. "NO!" he yelled right before the collision.

"HICCUP!" Astrid yelled in fear.

"SON!" Valka and Stoick called immediately after. Hiccup and Toothless separated as Hiccup began falling almost lifelessly into the blazing inferno below. Toothless roared for his friend, then changed his direction to dive straight down after Hiccup. Both of them disappeared into the flames.

 **. . .**

It did not take long for the fire to fade once the Red Death's body was incinerated from the blast. All that was left was thick fog and ashes falling slowly. The area was quiet as everyone tried to look around, but there was hardly any visibility.

"HICCUP!" Stoick called while moving around aimlessly with no direction, but clear panic and worry in his tone. "HICCUP! Son!" he tried again.

"The dragons are back…" someone mentioned.

"Archian Prep students, dragon calls!" Dagur yelled. The riders did so as their dragons came forward and into view. "Wing blasts," each rider mounted and gave their dragon the command. The wings of the dragons rose, then flapped forward as a lot of the smoke and ash was blown away; allowing others to see.

"Stormfly," Astrid said as her Nadder squawked. "Find Hiccup and Toothless, girl," Stormfly sniffed around and glided Astrid over to where Toothless's figure was seen lying unconscious. "I've got Toothless!" she called to Stoick. Almost everyone hurried over as fast as they could but didn't crowd. Stoick tripped and hit his knees before Toothless. Valka's eyes widened with tears.

"No…No…Hiccup…" Valka began to cry. Stoick lowered his head, tears also forming.

"I did this…" Stoick whispered, but anyone close could hear it. Toothless groaned a bit, slowly beginning to awaken as his eyes set on Stoick and huffed almost. "Oh, son…I'm so sorry…" Stoick let the tears slip. Heather buried her face in Dagur's chest. Ruffnut and Tuffnut put their arms around one another. Snotlout stood with his father, just blown away almost. Fishlegs was near Heather, trying to offer comfort. Eret had Ragna. Camicazi held onto Thuggory. Nadia stood between both couples. Everyone was lowering their heads, and Astrid was the last one to lower her head and cry.

"Y-You promised…" Astrid whimpered. Toothless adjusted a little as he moved his wings to unfold revealing Hiccup between his legs.

"Hiccup!" Stoick moved closer, pulling Hiccup into his arms and moving the hair from his face; then finally lowering his ear to Hiccup's chest. There was a heartbeat. "H-He's alive! You brought him back alive!" Stoick announced, overwhelmed with emotion. Everyone began cheering, clapping, and happy that Hiccup was alive, and he had defeated Red Death with is Night Fury. Astrid and Valka held one another, crying tears of joy. Stoick was still holding Hiccup up with one arm. "Thank you, for saving my son," Stoick put his hand on Toothless's head. The dragon crooned weakly and laid his head down.

Gobber came over now, inspecting more. "Well, ya know…Most of him," Stoick and Valka instantly glared at the man.

"We need to get back to Archia Isle; he needs medical treatment, like now," Valka reminded her husband. "The leg is gone, and it looks like there isn't much bleeding either. Perhaps the flames from the blaze cauterized it because it is clean and dry too…"

"I can take him on Stormfly," Astrid offered. "She's the second fastest dragon next to a Night Fury," she added while wiping her eyes. Stoick and Valka nodded as Astrid got up and climbed on Stormfly quickly. The Nadder lowered more as some of the taller males helped settle Hiccup's unconscious form against Astrid, and she put her arm around him.

"Go, we'll be right behind!" Stoick told Astrid.

"Stormfly, top speed!" Astrid urged. Stormfly took to the sky and headed East towards Berk. Soon, they were out of sight.

"Everyone else, find your dragons or hitch a ride with someone else!" Spitelout ordered. This took quite a bit of time, but Stoick, Valka, and Gobber were gone with their dragons and Toothless being carried by Cloud Jumper towards Berk to meet Astrid at the hospital and get an update on Hiccup. The eighteen-year-old had saved the entire island, and at the initial start; no one believed he could defeat Red Death by himself. However; Hiccup pulled it off and got severely injured doing so. One thing was for sure; everyone hoped he'd be okay and they'd never doubt him again. Hiccup was a saving grace this afternoon and today marked the rise of a hero and the fall of an enemy.


	48. In The Hands Of The Gods

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 ***Author's Note;** _I'd just like to remind everyone that regardless of me having a new laptop and can write chapters...I am still in search of another apartment and getting back important documents that were destroyed in the fire, so my time to type is still a small window each day. As it is; it took me about two days at different periods in each to finish this chapter for you. I do hope you can continue to remain patient as I get my life back on track from the fire two weeks ago(Friday, June 29th, 2018). I will do my best to produce new chapters, but the upload schedule stands as random. Thank you so much for all the continued support; it means the world to me. Thank you, Nightstar._ *****

In The Hands Of The Gods

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 1, 2022-5:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Archia General Hospital)**_

Technically I'm not supposed to fly Stormfly alone without a licensed adult dragon rider, but this was an emergency and if anyone was going to rush Hiccup to the hospital; it was going to be me for sure. Who was going to argue with me? Stoick was the Mayor of Archia Isle, and Hiccup was his son. Stormfly as a Deadly Nadder has the second fastest speed next to a Night Fury; it made sense for me to take Hiccup on dragon back to receive help. I flew Stormfly as fast as I could from Dragon Island to Archia Isle, then onward to the hospital. Upon arriving, Stormfly landed at the emergency department as I looked into the windows to see workers there.

"Hey! Hey; I need help out here!" I called, trying to signal them to come out. One reception working noticed and let others know. A few came out as I checked on Hiccup; he was still unconscious.

"What's wrong?" a nurse inquired.

"This is Stoick and Valka Haddock's son, Hiccup Haddock, and he needs help…Like now," I pleaded.

"What happened to him?" a doctor questioned.

"If you can believe it…Hiccup battled a Red Death on Dragon Island no more than an hour and fifteen minutes ago," I enlightened as they stopped quickly to look at me in surprise. I became angry now. "DETAILS LATER! HELP HIM!" I demanded. Not wasting any more time, the team worked together to get Hiccup inside on a temporary bed with wheels; then rush him inside the emergency room for treatment. I got Stormfly in one of the open stables and assured her everything was going to be okay. I asked the staff to get her some fish, water, and a few chicken legs for her; then I left to get inside and check on Hiccup's status.

"Are you the girl who brought in the Mayor's son?" asked a female voice. I nodded once. "Can you tell me what happened?" she added afterward.

"Hiccup found a Red Death on Dragon Island and battled it. In the end, he drove the dragon into the ground face first; the beast exploded. All we saw from the ground was Hiccup, and his dragon fall unconscious into the blast. After it cleared, we found Hiccup in his Night Fury's wings unconscious. I rushed him here on my dragon," I explained the easiest way I could.

The female typed in some information on her computer, then glanced over her glasses to me. "Did he wake at all during the transport?"

"No," I shook my head. "I-Is he alright?"

"I haven't heard anything yet. Now, who are you?" the woman inquired.

"As-Astrid Hofferson…I-I'm living with the Haddocks right now," I replied.

"Where are Mayor Haddock and his wife?" she wondered.

"They should be on their way; I rushed ahead for Hiccup's sake…I have a Nadder; she's fast and could get us here before the others were ready to depart," I responded softly.

"I see. How much can you tell me about Hiccup?" she asked.

"Probably basic information…" I shrugged.

"Give me what you can when I ask, and when his parents arrive; I'll retrieve the rest," the receptionist said. I nodded and took a breath. I didn't know how long this would take, but at least it was something to keep me from sitting around and worrying about Hiccup while he was likely in surgery. Hiccup's leg from below the knee was gone and had been bleeding lightly. Gobber did what he could to tie it off, and I had Stormfly go as fast as she could to get Hiccup here at the hospital. The question remained, though, when did he lose the leg? Hiccup had it when he fell of Toothless and into the inferno below. I guess I'd have to wait and see what the doctor says about it.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:20 pm}**_

 _ **(AGH Waiting Area)**_

I was only able to provide birthday, allergies, height, and weight. I gave a long description of how the battle with Red Death went, but that was all I could do. Stoick and Valka had the rest of the Hiccup's information, and I was sure they'd be coming soon. As I had Hiccup taken care of; Stoick and Spitelout were working on getting everyone to their dragons, then returning to Archia Isle. I was sure some injured people would be coming to the hospital, and the rest would be going home. Everyone would hear of this, what Hiccup did for the island. I had a strong feeling that everyone would also want to know if Hiccup is okay. The guy defeated a legendary dragon by himself with his Night Fury. This was something that would be big news once the story was released. Right now; I was worried for Hiccup, and my heart went out to Runa; Hiccup's little girl who likely had no idea what was happening because she was so young.

Right now, I'm sitting in one of the chairs that allowed me to see the emergency room doors when they opened, and hopefully, a doctor would be coming out to let me know how Hiccup was doing. I had messaged Valka, and let her know that Hiccup was taken right in, and I gave the check-in lady as much information as I could, but was now waiting for an update. I sat back in the chair, covering my face and entirely worried for Hiccup; I still couldn't believe he took Toothless and the two of them defeated Red Death together. One thing that kept running across my mind was that Hiccup kissed my cheek right before he took off. I didn't understand why, but I wanted too. It seemed I would have to wait for Hiccup to be out of surgery and awake to do that. Oh, and ask when we were alone. I know everyone saw it, but I felt it should be a private conversation between them.

"Astrid!" Valka said as I sat up quickly to see Stoick and Valka rush into the emergency room. Gobber, Spitelout, Frida, Snotlout, Alvin, Termagant, Fishlegs, and Adelaide hurried in afterward. Following them, a moment later was Dagur, Heather, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

"How is he?" Stoick asked.

"I-I don't know. I haven't heard anything since I got here at 5:45 pm; they took Hiccup right into surgery. I had to talk to the receptionist about Hiccup's information, but I couldn't give much more than the basics," I stated softly.

"We'll figure out what's happening. Thank you, for getting him here so quickly," Valka hugged me; I returned it.

"Let me know?" I asked.

"Of course," Stoick nodded as the two of them walked towards the check-in desk to see about getting some information. I sat back down, sighing.

"Any word?" came Eret's voice. I looked over to see Eret, Camicazi, Ragna, Nadia, and Thuggory entering slowly and quietly.

"Nothing yet, lads and lasses," Gobber informed calmly.

"Are you okay, Astrid?" Heather moved beside me, offering comfort, which I appreciated. However, I didn't think I could relax at all until I knew how Hiccup was doing.

"I just want to know if he's alright…" I lowered my head.

"We'll know soon," Spitelout stated.

"Everything is gonna be okay, Astrid. Hiccup's pretty tough; it'll be a fight to adjust and recover, but Hiccup can do it, and we'll be right here if he needs a little help," Dagur reminded. I nodded to him as we all found a place to sit or lean against. Now, it was a waiting game for any updates.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General Hospital)**_

It had been an hour and a half since I arrived with Hiccup to get him help. All of us were taking up the waiting area in hopes of an update on Hiccup, who had been in surgery since I brought him here. I assumed that no one was leaving until we knew for sure. There were too many people to visit Hiccup, but we'd all take turns once we learned the allowed limit of people inside the room. I knew Hiccup would be in for a long recovery; his leg was gone. That alone would take time to heal, then work in physical therapy with a prosthetic to walk again. I didn't know if Hiccup knew about his leg being taken off or not; it appeared Hiccup was unconscious when falling into the explosion. Even Toothless was out of it for a bit. Toothless was currently in Haddock Stables resting due to the fight; he escaped unscathed.

Stoick and Valka hadn't gotten much of an update other than Hiccup still being in surgery, but they heard the biggest of the injuries was the leg, and that is what was taking the most time to fix up the best that could be done. Runa was at the hospital now; Valka went home to get her because she got extremely fussy if she didn't see her father for too long. Even if Hiccup was knocked out; Runa seeing him would make it a bit better because she'd know he was close. Everyone was somewhat tired but refused to leave until they knew something. The vending machines had gotten used a lot for snacks and drinks as it was after dinner time; it wasn't much, but enough to subside some of the hunger and thirst while waiting. There had been a little chatter; I heard Stoick, Gobber, Alvin, and Spitelout talking a bit about things. Valka was worried, but holding Stoick's hand for comfort.

The teen females were sitting, some of the males were, and the rest were leaning against walls. I hated this so much; it wasn't fair. Hiccup is an amazing man who has put his life on the line to protect me since January, and tonight; he almost died protecting every resident on Archia Isle. I heard a door push open as all figures waiting for news on Hiccup stood, and were on alert as the doctor made his way towards them.

"All here for Hiccup Haddock?" the man inquired. Valka and Stoick hurried over quickly.

"Yes, but we're his parents. How is my baby?" Valka asked with concern. The doctor seemed uncertain in revealing details with so many present.

"Everyone here is family or friend; they are okay," Stoick informed.

"It's a protocol that we tell next of kin, and you may relay the information if you wish. Only because there are so many," the man stated.

"We just want to know if Hiccup is okay," I stepped closer now. "Please?"

The doctor sighed. "Yes, he is. It will be a long recovery, but I'm sure with some work, love, and support; Hiccup will be alright with time," I breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. and Mrs. Haddock, why don't you come with me and we can talk more,"

"Yes, of course," Stoick nodded.

"Why don't the rest of us head home. I'm sure Stoick and Valka will let us know. It's been a long night for everyone," Gobber stated to the others.

"I agree," Spitelout said.

"Snotlout, Adelaide…Let's go," Frida added.

"We should go too, big brother," Heather frowned. "Astrid, will you let us know?"

I nodded to her quietly, and Heather hugged me tightly, then Dagur did too. "We'll go as well," Camicazi informed.

"Yeah, send us a text or give a call when you know more?" Eret enlightened.

"I will," I replied quietly. I didn't want to leave yet, not until I knew more. Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut left shortly after the Jorgensons did. Eret, Nadia, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Ragna said their goodbyes and departed at 7:20 pm. All that remained now were Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and I. Oh, and Runa in Valka's arms fast asleep.

"You two are going to remain here?" Valka asked. "We don't mind you coming; we just couldn't have everyone,"

"We'll come, Val," Gobber nodded. I felt immensely grateful that Valka and Stoick said we could join them with the doctor to find out more about Hiccup.

"Come, we'll talk in my office," the doctor began to turn away. I walked next to Gobber behind Stoick and Valka who followed the doctor.

 **. . .**

Reaching the office, the doctor allowed all four of us to enter before himself; then he closed the door and took a seat at his desk with a folder under his arm that got placed on the desk shortly after. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Dr. Colden Kongur; I headed Hiccup's surgery when he arrived,"

"Give it to us straight, Doc," Gobber informed.

Dr. Kongur sighed. "Your son sustained a severe injury to his left leg, which as you know, was removed before he arrived here,"

"We found him with no leg, Doctor," Valka stated gently.

"Yes, I was made aware by the entry nurse who spoke with Miss. Hofferson about what had happened. An injury of this magnitude should have had more bleeding, like a soldier stepping on an IED if you would," Dr. Kongur said.

"We were a bit surprised ourselves," Stoick nodded. "But the state you saw the nub in is how we found him after the battle," he added.

"Well, I am not sure of how the limb got removed, but it was a clean break from below the knee. There was minimal bleeding, and the wound appeared to be slightly cauterized upon his arrival here. Miss. Hofferson mentioned a large explosion that Hiccup fell into, yet his dragon had Hiccup in his wings. I assume the heat of the fire may have had something to do with why the nub had been cauterized, and there was light bleeding," Dr. Kongur enlightened.

"But he will be alright, yes?" Valka asked.

"In due time, Mrs. Haddock. We were able to stop the bleeding and close the injury. It will take some time to heal before young Hiccup can try physical therapy, but it may be possible that he get around with a wheelchair or crutches while the nub heals," Dr. Kongur said.

"We understand. I take it he will need a prosthetic?" Gobber asked.

"In the beginning stages, we'll work with the remainder of the leg to strengthen the muscles a bit and then we'll use a standard prosthetic to get Hiccup walking again with putting weight on the nub. This will become easier the more he works with it. Following that; he will begin getting fitted for a prosthetic best suited to him," Dr. Kongur explained.

"And were there any other wounds that will take time to heal?" Valka wondered.

"No. Everything else is a few light burns, bruising, and scratches; all of those will heal with little to no scarring within a week, maybe two. There is nothing to worry about with those injuries. And we are giving him pain medication to help with any discomfort he may be feeling. However, there is one other significant thing that puts the physical recovery in standby shall we say," Dr. Kongur looked at all of us gravely, and we became concerned fast.

"And that is?" I dared to ask.

"Hiccup is in a coma," Dr. Kongur said firmly as we all gasped. "And I'm sure you know that we can't determine how long it will last,"

"What can you tell us about the coma? How bad?" Gobber tried.

"Well, he didn't sustain any brain damage other then what I assume was a hard fall even in the protection of his dragons' wings. His breathing is normal, and there is brain activity even if there is no movement or response on the outside. Our scan shows that his brain is processing sounds and touch, but he can't reciprocate them if you would. We believe that the coma was…Self-induced because of what occurred. So we feel that with a little time; Hiccup will ultimately wake up after his body has recovered a bit," Dr. Kongur informed calmly.

"But he will wake up?" Stoick asked.

"Yes," Dr. Kongur nodded. "There is no telling when, but we will continue to monitor for signs of Hiccup waking up. Most of this is done by scans, talking to him, and seeing if he responds by moving his hand, tightening it around someone else's," he added.

"Of course," Stoick replied understanding.

"And will his memory be intact?" Valka questioned.

"Well, there is no way of knowing that officially until Hiccup wakes up. However, it's my personal opinion that once he's awake; it should start coming to him. As I said; there were no head injuries other than some scrapes and light burns. Nothing has affected Hiccup's brain; it's more of waking up and remembering what happened before he knocked out. Think of it as a bad hangover only he'll be out for a bit longer than the night, and when he wakes up; it will take some time for him to recall the events before," Dr. Kongur informed.

"That is some relief," I put a hand over my heart, relieved that Hiccup would be okay.

"Can we see the lad?" Gobber inquired.

"Until 10 pm, yes, that is when visiting hours end. And they start again at 8 am. Also, I know that the group from before will want to visit; the limit of the room is eight at eight at one time," Dr. Kongur reminded.

"Understood," Stoick responded. Colden stood up as did Valka, Stoick, Gobber, and myself. The man led us out of his office and into the ICU or Intensive Care Unit on the 3rd floor. I figured Hiccup would be there given that the nurses and doctors would have to monitor the coma to make sure Hiccup was alright night and day until he woke up. I assumed that once Hiccup was awake, and showing signs of improvement; they may move him to a different room until he was cleared to go home. There was no telling when that would be, so I guess it would be more waiting and observing to discover the answer.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:50 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General; ICU # 3005)**_

Reaching the room; I felt myself grow nervous but composed myself to go inside with Gobber, Stoick, and Valka. Dr. Kongur opened the door as we looked inside to see Hiccup lying motionless on the bed in hospital wear under the covers. Hiccup was hooked up to an IV, heart, pulse, and blood pressure monitors. Also, it appeared Hiccup had oxygen too. Hiccup was a little scuffed up on the face and arms; we could see where his left leg was missing even though Hiccup's lower half was under the blanket. The only sounds of the rooms were the oxygen and steady beeping from the machines. I could hear Valka becoming a little sniffly, though; it had to be hard for her to see Hiccup like this. It was hard for everyone because this was the after-effects of a battle we all witnessed hours ago.

"Dada…" Runa said tiredly. I could see her reaching for Hiccup, and it broke my heart that Hiccup couldn't reach back to hold her.

"Everything will be okay, Val," Stoick consoled his wife. I stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Hiccup and just praying he woke up soon. Gobber was on the right of Hiccup, calling him a hero for what he did and that he needed to recover fast so we could celebrate the victory. Leave it to Gobber to find even half a reason to smile right now, but I felt it was Gobber's way of not allowing anyone to see how worried he was for his Godson and unofficial nephew.

"I-I'll hold Runa for you, Mrs. Haddock… I offered.

"Thank you, Astrid," Stoick said as he handed Runa to me from Valka. Afterward. Valka went right to Hiccup's left side to hold his hand and kiss his forehead.

"My brave boy," Valka sobbed a bit as I bounced Runa in my arms slightly to keep her content and calm; it was something I had seen Hiccup do with her often. Stoick stood next to Valka with his head down; entirely blaming himself for this.

"I was a fool; I should have listened to Hiccup when he said it was too dangerous…I'm so sorry, son…" Stoick closed his eyes, his hand on Hiccup's gently.

 _Please let him be alright when he wakes up…_ I prayed with my head towards the ceiling. Hours later at 9:50 pm, a nurse came in to check Hiccup's vitals, and remind us visiting hours were about to end. Valka, Stoick, and Gobber said their goodbyes, and that we'd be back tomorrow morning. Valka took Runa from me as I put my hand on Hiccup's softly, trying not to cry. "Keep fighting to get back us," I said lightly before leaning over to kiss his cheek; then I backed up to leave with the others.

"It's in the hands of the Gods now," Gobber said as we exited the room.


	49. A Few Steps Backwards

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

A Few Steps Backwards

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, April 2, 2022-6:00 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor-Astrid's Room)**_

Regardless of getting back to Haddock Manor at around 10:30 pm; I didn't go right to sleep. I put Stormfly away and sat with her for a bit in Haddock Stables until 10:45 pm; then I got inside to take a shower. I cried a bit while I was in there. Around 11:10 pm; I was out and laying on my bed staring at the ceiling. I was exhausted but didn't have the energy to text the others and let them know. I was sure Gobber, Stoick, or Valka messaged someone in the Jorgenson family, so that meant Snotlout or Adelaide would hear and spread the word to Heather, Dagur, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. Fishlegs would likely learn from his parents, Alvin and Termagant. In turn, someone of them would alert Camicazi, Ragna, Eret, Thuggory, and Nadia. News would get around that Hiccup's leg was gone, and he was in a coma until further notice. I didn't fall asleep until 1 am-ish after hearing Valka calm down Runa enough to get her to take a bottle and fall asleep in the bassinet that they pulled into their bedroom for the night because Runa didn't want to be by herself unless Hiccup was in the next room to hers. I found it amazing that babies could sense that kind of thing.

I've been lying awake since about 4 am, staring at the ceiling and wondering how Hiccup was doing. I was certain that if he woke up or his condition changed; Stoick or Valka would get notified of it through the night, but who knew. Perhaps if it happened too late or early in the morning; then the hospital wouldn't call anyone until after visiting hours began because they knew that the parents would come running to see Hiccup. Visiting hours would start in two hours; I hoped I could go with the Haddocks again; I knew the others wanted to see Hiccup too, but I couldn't bring myself to leave his side right now after all he's done for me since I began living with him. I should get up and perhaps a shower, maybe get breakfast and see how everyone else is holding. I tossed the covers off and sat up to rub my eyes and stretch. I got to my feet and went to the bathroom.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:20 am}**_

I decided that since I showered last night; I didn't need another one right this moment. I used the bathroom; then got dressed and began to get my shoes on. I heard my phone vibrating on the nightstand, so I leaned over to get it and saw Heather calling. I yawned while answering the call.

"Hi, Heather," I greeted tiredly.

" _You sound exhausted,"_ Heather informed.

"I didn't fall asleep until 1 am, woke up at 4:15 am," I informed.

" _Couldn't stop thinking about Hiccup, could you?"_ Dagur wondered as I shook my head.

"I couldn't stop seeing what happened; Hiccup getting knocked off Toothless and fell towards that fire. Wondering what took place…" I sighed.

" _I had a feeling Toothless dove down and caught Hiccup before the flames got him, or Hiccup would have been in worse shape,"_ Dagur mentioned.

"That's what I keep telling myself," I agreed.

" _Have you heard anything from Stoick and Valka yet? On Hiccup's condition?"_ Heather inquired. I blinked; they didn't know yet? Well, it was pretty late when we got back last night, but I assumed Stoick, Valka, or Gobber might have said something while we were at the hospital or when we got home at 10:30 pm.

"Yeah, I know everything. Gobber and I stayed at the hospital last night after you all left. The doctor didn't want to explain everything to everyone there because there could be too many questions," I informed quietly.

" _Oh! Great. Why didn't you call us last night? We're at Thuggory's place,"_ Ruffnut stated.

"Why?" I wondered curiously.

" _It was the big enough, and we wanted to be in the same place for when the call came through. Thuggory offered for us to all come over and stay as we were leaving to go home. Snotlout, Adelaide, and Fishlegs went home with their families, but we have them on a call with us right now,"_ Minden explained.

"Hi, Snotlout, Adelaide, and Fishlegs," I greeted them.

" _Sup?"_ Snotlout replied.

" _So what's up with Hiccup?"_ Fishlegs asked.

"Well, Hiccup's leg is gone, but we knew that before the hospital transport. The doctor said that they don't know what took the leg off. However, the break was clean and the wound slightly cauterized already, so all they had to do was clean it up, stop the bleeding, and close the nub," I began to explain.

" _Think the fire did it when he fell?"_ asked Ragna.

"No idea. The doctor thinks so, but no way of knowing until Hiccup wakes up," I responded.

" _Wait; he's still out?"_ Thuggory inquired.

"Yeah, and he might be out for a while. The other bit of the information is that Hiccup, aside from the leg, suffered some bruises, scratches, and light burns that will heal in a week or two. But…the biggest thing is that Hiccup is in a coma," I stated.

" _Oh, my Gods!"_ Heather and Adelaide screeched as the rest gasped. I took a deep breath and began to explain everything that Dr. Kongur did the night before to them. Five minutes later; I finished.

"So they don't think it will last long, and he'll be able to recall everything. Right now; Hiccup is in ICU hooked up to machines, and oxygen. Hiccup can breathe on his own, but I think it's a _just in case_ situation if his condition changes before he wakes up," I continued explaining.

" _Are we allowed to visit?"_ Camicazi inquired.

"Yeah, but no more than eight at one time. Expect Valka and Stoick to be one of those eight at all times," I reminded.

" _We figured,"_ Eret said.

" _Poor Hiccup…"_ Adelaide sniffled a bit.

"Visiting hours start at 8 am and end at 10 pm. I'm sure we're heading there first thing when they start," I said.

" _Let us know who is there and when, so that we can plan when we go,"_ Heather asked.

"I'll do my best. I gotta go for now; gonna try to get some breakfast until we go," I mentioned.

" _Okay. See you later, Ast,"_ Nadia responded. I was still iffy on trusting these five people, but I promised to give them a chance to prove their sincerity in the apologies. I still wasn't sold that they were sorry and wanted to be friends, but Hiccup seemed to trust that they meant it, so I was taking his word for it. However, with Hiccup in his current state; I wasn't going to go against something he said. It was mentioned to the five before by Hiccup's friends that they would be cool with things if Hiccup were, and Hiccup gave the five one chance to show they meant what they said or he would ruin them like he did Gruffnut.

Still, to this day, nobody had seen or heard from Gruffnut. Ruffnut and Tuffnut said that Gruffnut moved out according to their aunt and uncle. The last any of the Thorston in contact with Gruffnut; he was getting his GED outside of the Archipelago, and living in his apartment while looking for a job to make money for when his savings ran out. Gruffnut only kept in contact with his parents; he didn't want his new number getting out to anyone. Gruffnut's parents respected that and only let others know that Gruffnut was alive and okay. I didn't agree with what Hiccup did; outing Gruffnut as a submissive gay. I still wanted to know why Hiccup did it, but I never got around to asking what sparked him doing such a harsh thing and it made me worry that if he had that kind of information on Gruffnut; then what did he have on Eret, Ragna, Nadia, Thuggory, and Camicazi. I was a bit terrified to find out. Right now; it didn't matter. I wanted to get downstairs, have breakfast, then see Hiccup.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Wednesday, April 7, 2022-5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Hospital-ICU #3005)**_

"He's been in a coma since the first," Valka frowned as she was rubbing her thumb on the backside of Hiccup's hand. It had been five days total that Hiccup's remained comatose in the ICU of Archia General Hospital.

"We knew it could be a bit, Val," Stoick sighed. "Come on; let's go get some dinner,"

"I don't want to leave him," Valka sobbed a bit, using her other hand to wipe a falling tear.

"I don't think much will change, Val. Go on and eat. I'm sure Runa is ready for a change and supper too. You can't be here every second of every day; Hiccup wouldn't like that, us putting everything on hold for him," Gobber reminded.

"You're right," Valka agreed, knowing Gobber and her husband were right.

"We can sit with him a while, Mrs. Haddock," Dagur offered. "We just got back from dinner ourselves," he added.

"I appreciate that Dagur," Stoick bowed his head gratefully. Astrid peeked into the room to see Spitelout, Frida, Valka, Stoick, Gobber, Alvin, and Termagant sitting with Hiccup since all the teenagers had gone out to get something to eat after Dagur's Dragon Training session. Dagur was trying to get everyone where they needed to be for Finals in May as it wasn't that far off now. With Hiccup out of commission; Dagur took over the lessons at the High School to make sure no one fell behind given nobody knew how long it would be before Hiccup woke up and could continue the job himself.

"Yeah, we can all sit with him since they moved Hiccup to a bigger room to accommodate more visitors. That was a nice thing the owner of the hospital did," Thuggory stated. It happened on Monday; that Hiccup was moved to a private room that could allow for at least fourteen people visiting at one time. It was the owner of the hospital's gift for what Hiccup did in saving the island and ending up with no left leg and in a coma because of what he did.

"We'll be back after," Gobber told Dagur, who nodded as the parents and Gobber left the room with Runa. The teenagers filed in and found a place to be. Like before, some sat and others leaned against a wall. Astrid was always one of the people next to Hiccup's bed. Adelaide and Heather were typically on the other side. The rest just stayed back to watch, and they would all engage in a little conversation to pass the time.

"I wonder when he'll wake up," Ragna said.

"I thought the doctor said it wouldn't be long," Fishlegs looked at Astrid.

"He said it _shouldn't_ be long because Hiccup didn't sustain any major head injuries," Astrid replied while not taking her hands off of Hiccup's.

"But maybe the overall incident has him trapped in his mind. You figure how fast everything happened; we left the hospital, got home and everything just happened within a couple of hours," Adelaide shrugged a bit.

"I've read about that happening; something big happens, and people fall comatose to deal with it all. Maybe Hiccup knew felt when he lost his leg, and knows what happened to it," Fishlegs added.

"I've heard of what you're talking about, Fishlegs," Dagur stated. "Where Hiccup is in a coma because in his mind; he's still battling Red Death still, trying to survive since he fell off into the fire, but he went unconscious as it happened. Maybe Hiccup doesn't know he lived? Stuck in a dream or something?"

"It's possible," Heather agreed with her older brother.

"So Hiccup is still fighting a battle he's already won and isn't aware that he did?" Eret asked to confirm.

"In the simplest terms, yes," Snotlout nodded.

"Can't we like, talk to him? Can he hear us if we talk to him?" Camicazi wondered.

"The doctor said that all his brain activity is normal, but can't respond to us. I don't get how it works," Astrid admitted. "I assume it means that Hiccup can hear and feel us, but not do or say anything back. I guess it kind means that he's here, though asleep, and paralyzed?" she shrugged a little, unsure of her answer but it was the best way she understood what the doctor had explained of Hiccup's coma.

"So what's gonna happen with his leg, or…lack thereof?" Nadia wondered.

"The doctor said that Hiccup's nub has to heal before any work with a prosthetic begins so that he won't be hurt by pressure while walking on it. Something about strengthing the remainder of the leg as it heals that way it won't be weak in physical therapy," Snotlout mentioned from what he remembered he was told by his mother and father.

"Makes sense; he'll be in pain if it doesn't heal first," Tuffnut said.

"So how long is the recovery?" Ragna questioned.

"Four to six weeks at least is the standard for healing nubs after limb loss," Fishlegs remarked.

"How's Runa without Hiccup?" Camicazi asked.

"Miserable. We can all only do so much, but sometimes seeing Hiccup is what works. We've laid Runa beside Hiccup a few times to get her to settle down while visiting," Astrid said lightly, again her eyes didn't leave Hiccup's still figure. It was quiet now as Astrid rubbed her fingers over Hiccup's hand gently. Twenty minutes went by as Astrid was laying her head on the edge of the bed, her hands still holding Hiccup's.

"I hope he wakes up soon…I miss having him around," Heather frowned a bit, leaning against Dagur.

Astrid lowered her head once more, the forehead on Hiccup's hand, and the door opened revealing Stoick, Valka with Runa in her arms, and Gobber. "Guess this is our queue to leave," Thuggory mentioned.

"You can sit with the lad a bit longer. Val just insisted on seeing if Hiccup woke up at all; we're all talking in the hallway," Gobber informed as the teenagers nodded. Valka walked close and moved some of Hiccup's hair out of his face, then placed a kiss on his forehead. Runa reached for her father.

"Dada…Dada uppy," Runa whined some.

"Soon, baby girl. Soon," Valka said, not that it helped much. Stoick pulled Valka from the room, and Gobber closed the door behind them after exiting. Astrid couldn't believe that Runa was almost ten months old; she would be on the 11th of April. Astrid sighed as she held Hiccup's hand tightly in hers.

"You gotta wake up, Hiccup," Astrid said in a whisper as the others stayed quiet, and listened. "Come back to us…I can't lose you either…I can't imagine a world without you in it," she bowed her head and closed her eyes a moment. The others frowned a bit; this hurt Astrid a lot, and they could see that now. Astrid felt like crying; she could feel tears forming. However, Astrid felt something lightly move against her hand as her head shot up with a gasp.

"Astrid, what's wrong?" Snotlout asked.

"I-I felt Hiccup's hand move…" Astrid reported quickly, and in surprise.

"Did you!? Are you sure?" Dagur questioned quickly. Astrid nodded.

"Hiccup? Hiccup, can you hear me? Move your left hand again if you can…?" Astrid sat up more, very hopeful. It took a few seconds, but Hiccup's hand twitched again. "He did it; moved his hand! He can hear us…" she breathed out. Hiccup's face still appeared he was sleeping, except for his eyes; they could be seen moving around a bit behind the lids.

"Go get Stoick or Valka!" Dagur ordered. Adelaide rushed out to alert anyone outside the waiting room, mainly Hiccup's parents.

"Come on, Hiccup…Wake up. Open your eyes; we're all here, my friend," Fishlegs coaxed a bit. Hiccup's hand tightened on Astrid's now, much more movement than before.

"That's it…Come on, Hiccup," Astrid tried.

Hiccup's head turned to the side a bit, then to the other as he was trying hard to open his eyes. Hiccup was grunting a bit, panting, and trying to come to. During this, the room suddenly filled with others; much more than the limit allowed, but this was a big moment. Five days later from the defeat of Red Death, and Hiccup was beginning to wake up from the coma!

"Hiccup!?" Valka moved to Hiccup's side quickly, holding his hand as Stoick was beside her. "It's okay…Mom and Dad are here, baby," Valka said. Hiccup's head moved more as his eyes began to flutter a bit; then finally, they opened and blinked rapidly to look around and focus.

"Oh, thank Odin…" Astrid put a hand over her heart.

"Wh-Where…Am I?" Hiccup asked, his throat dry and voice barely above a whisper.

"In the hospital, son. How do you feel?"

"Th-thir..sty…" Hiccup managed.

"I'll get 'im some water," Gobber said as he moved to fill the small, plastic pitcher. Hiccup tried to shake his head more and adjust to sit up, but found he was very weak.

"Don't try to move a lot, son…" Valka urged. Gobber returned and brought the cup to Valka, who helped Hiccup take a drink so he wouldn't be so parched. After the drink, Valka set the cup aside as Hiccup laid his head back and looked around more.

"What happened? Did I pass out from overworking again?" Hiccup asked. Stoick and Valka looked a bit concerned now.

"No, son; you-," Stoick started, but the door opened as the doctor on staff walked in and had Stoick stop.

"Easy now, Mr. Haddock. A delicate situation, remember?" he reminded. "No need to rush in; there's a process to follow in these cases. Allow me to do my job, so we can see where we're at," Stoick nodded, remembering what he had been told in the beginning that Hiccup might take some time to recall what happened. "Hello, I'm Doctor Eirik Matheson," Eirik greeted, holding his hand out to Hiccup, who cautiously extended his own to shake the doctors.

"Why am I here?" Hiccup asked. "What happened, and why are all these people in my room?" he eyed Astrid, Eret, Camicazi, Nadia, Thuggory, and Ragna. Hiccup saw Astrid holding his hand, and pulled it away rather fast, shocking Astrid a bit.

"Dada uppy," Runa reached for him. Hiccup adjusted a bit, cringing to sit up; then he motioned for his mother to bring Runa closer to him. Hiccup took his daughter in his arms, kissing her nose and holding her as she relaxed on his chest; her head on his shoulder.

"You're getting so big, Roo…" Hiccup said softly. "And talking more; I'm so proud of you," he smiled as Runa held onto his hospital gown. Hiccup looked around more but frowned before glancing at his parents. "Where's Liv?" A lot gasped, and some bit back nervously.

"Hang on…Wait a second before anyone jumps into accusations," Spitelout put a hand up.

"Do you know what day it is, lad?" Alvin asked curiously.

"Well, yeah. It's Saturday, October 30th, 2021…" Hiccup replied confidently. Everyone's eyes widened.


	50. A Process

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 ***Author's Note;** _Okay, I've said this before, and I will say it one more time. I know the story seems like mostly what would be as 'diary' entries. I know; it's supposed to be that way. This story is told MOSTLY from Astrid's point of view. If anyone paid attention to the first chapter; it's Astrid's wedding day to Hiccup, and she thinks back to how everything led up to that moment, and her thinking back is the actual story that you see beyond chapter one. I know it's cramped because a majority of the plot takes place during Astrid's FINAL year of High School. So the heart of this story is September 2021 to June 2022. If ya don't like it; don't read. But don't keep telling me that you don't like the style because this is how I chose to write things. Thank you! -Nightstar._ *****

A Process

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Wednesday, April 7, 2022- 6:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Hospital-ICU Room #3005)**_

I wasn't sure how to respond to the current situation. Hiccup thought it was October 2021, even though it was April 2022. Hiccup's six-day coma has caused him to forget six months of memories, and there were some big events in that timeframe. I felt like something was wrong when Hiccup looked confused as to why Eret, Ragna, Camicazi, Thuggory, Nadia, and myself were in his hospital room, which also; Hiccup had no idea why he was even there in the first place.

"Okay, this could be a minor set back," Gobber blinked after Hiccup answered that he thought it was the day before Halloween.

"What are talking about? Set back from what? Why am I in the hospital? Why are those six here? What the hell is going on?!" Hiccup demanded, becoming a bit angry as Runa buried her face in Hiccup's shoulder at the sound of her father raising his voice.

"Alright, everyone just needs to take a deep breath and calm down while I evaluate where Mr. Haddock here is at. I will ask for complete silence, or all of you can go; this is way over the allowed limit of fourteen in the room at one time. I understand that this is a big moment, but as you can see; it causes quite a bit of confusion for the patient," Eirik informed firmly.

Though a bit shocked and concerned; everyone backed off a bit and stayed quiet. "Where I'm at is in a hospital wondering why, so until you answer my question; I won't answer yours," Hiccup remarked.

Eirik sighed heavily as he pulled over a chair and sat down next to the best with the clipboard on his lap. "Hiccup, you've been in a coma for six days," Eirik stated as Hiccup stayed quiet, attempting to take that information in.

"Must have been one hell of a fall off of Toothless then…" Hiccup relaxed on the bed.

"Indeed. So do you mind if I ask you a few things? Just to gauge where your memories are at?" Eirik smiled.

"Sure," Hiccup shrugged.

"Thank you. Can you tell me your full name?" Eirik asked.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," Hiccup replied.

"And your birthday?" Eirik looked at him.

"February 29th, 2004," Hiccup closed his eyes.

"Your immediate family members?" Eirik tested.

"Parents; Stoick and Valka Haddock. Uncles; Spitelout Jorgenson and Alvin Ogglebert-Ingerman. Aunts; Frida Jorgenson, Termagant Ingerman. Dad does have four other sisters named Brenda the Seventh, Glugga, Egginbreeza, and Burly Sweet; but it's been about sixteen years since I've seen any of them, so Odin only knows if any are married and took a different last name than the birth one of Haddock. Cousins; Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson, Fishlegs Ingerman. Godfather and Unofficial Uncle is Gobber Forger. Maternal Grandparents; Old Wrinkly and Gothi Solberg. Paternal Grandparents; Squidface and Brenda the Sixth Haddock. Oh, and my daughter; Runa Haddock," Hiccup motioned to the ten-month-old on his shoulder.

"Do you know what grade you're in and what school you go to?" Eirik questioned.

"Senior Year at Archian Preparatory," Hiccup responded.

"And your dragon?" Eirik pushed.

"Toothless the Night Fury. Bonded at fifteen in the forest, which is right off the backyard of my home; Haddock Manor, or better known by most as Berkian Estates," Hiccup answered.

"When you woke up, you asked where Liv was. Who is she?" Eirik continued.

"Liv? Olivia Holgerson; she's Runa's mother, my girlfriend of two years, my fiancé after Thanksgiving, and my wife once I graduate High School," Hiccup smiled proudly.

"Plan to marry young, do ya?" Eirika chuckled.

Hiccup nodded, his smile falling a bit. "Liv has cancer, and it's terminal. Olivia asked if we could do all the things she'd miss after she was gone since there wasn't a lot of time left after Runa was born in June 2021,"

"There are medications, and surgeries-," Eirik started, but Hiccup shook his head.

"We know that, but the cancer was found after she got pregnant. All those things wouldn't have allowed us to have Runa. Olivia chose to continue the pregnancy over saving herself, and I supported her decision," Hiccup informed.

"That must have been a tough choice for your girlfriend to make, but very brave," Eirik said.

"One of the many things I love about it; she never thinks about herself…" Hiccup stated as he looked out the window, and closed his eyes. Seconds later; he raised his hand to his head.

"Hiccup?" Heather asked gently. Hiccup's eyes snapped open as he took a few deep breaths and shook his head to focus again.

"Are you in any pain, son?" Stoick inquired, but Hiccup shook his head no to his father.

"Were you remembering something?" Eirik wondered.

"I don't-," Hiccup paused, unsure how to answer. "I saw Liv laying in a hospital bed; hooked up to a bunch of stuff like I am now…It looked like this room…" Hiccup admitted softly.

"Anything else you saw?" Eirik pushed again.

"Hard to say; it was like quick flashes. Liv in the bed, a room of people, I was in a suit…She was in a white dress…" Hiccup explained, closing his eyes again; trying to remember. "The board by the window said something…A few names, and a date," he added. "2021…The 3rd of…Of November…" Hiccup's eyes opened. "Wait a second…That…Can't be right,"

"Are you sure?" Eirik asked.

"I have a borderline photographic memory, Doctor. Yes, I'm sure," Hiccup glared a bit. "I say it can't be right because we're in…October, not November…" he said, looking around for a sign of anything that made sense.

"Hiccup, I'm going to need you to calm down, laddie. Now, I'm going to explain why things are confusing, but if you freak out; I'm going to sedate you, so your injuries don't get worse…" Hiccup took a breath, then nodded. "Okay. As I said, Hiccup; you were in a coma for six days. However, you seem to be missing about six months of your memories,"

"What gives you that idea?" Hiccup retorted.

"It's April 7th, in the year 2022, Hiccup," Eirik said lightly, pulling out his phone to show Hiccup the time and date on the lock screen.

"What…Happened to me?" Hiccup asked slower, more confused than before. "Don't drag me around the bush, and throw protocol out the window regarding amnesia patients or whatever. Just tell me what happened to me," he demanded. "None of this makes sense, what could have possibly happened to me that I lost six months of memories…"

"Hiccup; I said you had to stay calm…" Eirik reminded.

"You…Battled a Red Death on April 1st with Toothless," Tuffnut said as Hiccup's eyes widened.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"And won. That thing is dead; you had it faceplant the ground with a face full of fire," Ruffnut added.

"But we saw Toothless's tail rig break, and you smacked the clubbed tail. You fell back into the explosion and Toothless dove after you. We didn't see anything after that until you were found wrapped in Toothless's wings. But you were unconscious," Heather informed.

"Astrid took you on Stormfly at top speed to get you to the hospital, and we learned you were in the coma, son," Stoick confirmed.

"Wait a second! There was a Red Death on Archia Isle!?" Hiccup said in shock.

"Keyword in the sentence is _was_. Red Death is gone. Oh, and it happened on Dragon Island," Camicazi stated.

"And what are you six doing here?" Hiccup questioned.

"We're…Your friends," Astrid chirped in nervously.

"Friends? With all of you? You sure it was me who lost my memories? I'd never be friends with any of you," Hiccup remarked coldly as Astrid's breath got caught in her throat. "Five of you are bullies, and you, Astrid…Hah, our friendship was lost long ago when you let the money coming in from your father being the mayor went to your head,"

"B-But Hiccup…" Nadia tried.

"Get out," Hiccup demanded. "We are not friends, and I doubt we ever can be after all the things you've done to me…" he added. "It would take a miracle, and even then…I'd never fully trust you,"

Astrid looked at Valka and Stoick, who nodded for her and the other five to go. Astrid motioned for the others to follow her, though, Astrid was hurt over this. Hiccup not remembering all the things that had happened in the last six months. Hiccup watched them depart, but as they were reaching the door; his left leg began bothering him a bit.

"Ow…" Hiccup mumbled as he went to rub it a bit and noticed something off.

"Something wrong, son?" Valka asked. Hiccup didn't answer as he adjusted Runa in his arms and reached for the blanket covering his legs. Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm while feeling fear; Hiccup drew the covers back and saw that his left leg was gone. It was just a bandaged nub that sat under his knee, but the rest of the leg and foot was gone. Hiccup froze, his eyes widened as much as they could go. Hiccup didn't say a word, but the shock and disbelief were written for all to see on his face.

"M-My…Leg…" Hiccup breathed out. Where was his leg?! Hiccup began panting, staring at his left leg's nub. "Wh-What happened…To my leg…?!" he asked.

"Hi-Hiccup…Deep breaths now. I know it's a bit of a shock…" Eirik began.

"B-Bit of a shock!? I lost my leg! How!? When?!" Hiccup couldn't relax. So not only did he lose six months of his memories but his left leg too!?

"Val, take Runa," Stoick said as Valka moved in closer, and took Runa from Hiccup's hands. Astrid, Eret, Nadia, Thuggory, Camicazi, and Ragna were still in the room too as it was clear that Hiccup learned his leg was gone, and now freaking out.

"Hiccup, if you don't calm down; I'm going to sedate you…" Eirik warned.

"Ca-Calm down? CALM DOWN? HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN! My left leg is gone, and I have no recollection as to how?! How can you wake up from a coma and be calm when you've suddenly forgotten six months of your life, and find out your leg is gone!" Hiccup yelled, still shocked, becoming angry, and who knew how many other emotions he was feeling right now. Sadly, Astrid didn't blame Hiccup one bit.

As soon as Hiccup started talking about wanting to leave and go home; Eirik had moved over to the wall and lifted the phone from the receiver. "Bring me a sedative for Mr. Haddock, please. Thank you," then he hung it up as a nurse brought in a needle with liquid in it, and the doctor as well as Gobber helping, held Hiccup down long enough for the nurse to administer the sedative into Hiccup's main IV line. Almost a minute or two later, Hiccup's struggling against Eirik and Gobber's restraint stopped, and he drifted back to sleep on the bed. The nurse fixed the blankets and left the room after tossing the needle in the safe-disposal box.

"I assume that just puts him to sleep for a bit?" Valka inquired nervously.

"Likely until tomorrow morning. It's our greatest fear that patients who wake up after some time in a coma lose bits of their memory. But things are worse when they wake up to what Hiccup did, in this case, his left leg is gone," Eirik explained.

"Will he remember everything?" Frida wondered.

"It's possible that everything should come back as has time to sit with the news of his leg being gone. As you noticed earlier; talking about Olivia seemed to trigger him remembering her in a hospital," Eirik informed. "I meant to ask about that, actually," he turned to Stoick and Valka.

Stoick sighed. "November 3rd, 2021 is the day Olivia passed away in the hospital from her cancer. It was an emotional day for him, but I believe what he was remembering or seeing flashes of was their bedside wedding. Hiccup asked Olivia to marry him, and then we called up a preacher to officiate the wedding. Olivia passed on no more than ten minutes later,"

"I see. And was Olivia in ICU during this?" Eirik wondered.

"Yes," Gobber nodded.

"Well, then that proves my theory…Small things will trigger him to remember others, but it will take time as he settles with the news of his leg being gone. It might be best for you all to leave for now. We're going to run some scans and tests, but he'll be out until tomorrow morning at best. If anything changes; I'll let you know," he smiled.

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Matheson," Valka tried to smile. "Come along everyone," she urged the others. Slowly, they all filed out of the room and soon made it out the central doors to the stables and parking lot.

"Should we not come back tomorrow?" Eret asked.

"I know what Hiccup said, but perhaps he could remember more tomorrow," Gobber said.

"Come tomorrow, and we'll see if anything has changed," Stoick said. The five nodded as they left in their vehicles. Astrid remained with Stoick, Valka, and Gobber as she would be returning to Haddock Manor.

"We'll stay back until we know more. We don't want to overload the room again," Dagur informed.

"I'll let you know," Astrid offered.

"And we'll see you in school anyway," Heather smiled a bit. That was right; tomorrow was Thursday. The earliest any of them would get to the hospital would be around 3:30 pm. "Have a good night," she added. Not long after, everyone was departing and getting back home; all with high hopes of Hiccup remembering some things that he seems to have temporarily forgotten.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Thursday, April 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **, 2022-4:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia General Hospital- ICU Room #3005)**_

Hiccup remained asleep through the morning and had woken up for a few moments before lunch. Stoick and Valka hadn't been there but were outside the room speaking with the doctor. Hiccup still didn't remember much, but the flashes of that day in the hospital with Olivia continued coming forward. Hiccup struggled to figure out what it meant but failed due to exhaustion. Also, Hiccup didn't appear to recall his leg was gone either. The pain medication he was given seemed to keep Hiccup from hurting while he healed from the injury. And he was given light sedatives to help him sleep more so he wouldn't freak out again. Hiccup was mostly distracted by trying to remember six months of his life, but that wasn't going great either. Now, Hiccup woke up again a little before 4:30 pm to the nurse checking his vitals and seeing a bunch of others wanting to sit with him.

"Oh, you're awake," the nurse said, surprised.

"Barely…" Hiccup mumbled.

"You have friends and family waiting to visit, but Dr. Matheson wanted me to check you over first. How are you feeling?" the nurse inquired.

"A little hungry tired still…Trying to remember stuff, but it's giving me a headache…" Hiccup admitted.

"Don't rush things, dear; it'll come back to you in time. If I can suggest; talk to the people around you. Everyone who has been visiting knows what happened; they can help by telling you what they know. Sometimes all it takes is a small trigger," the woman smiled.

"Yeah…I'll consider that. Um, could you possibly tell anyone waiting to see me come back tomorrow or something? I'm just exhausted, and I don't want visitors tonight," Hiccup asked.

"Sure thing," the nurse nodded as she then wrote a few more things down before exiting the room. Hiccup sighed as he laid back in the bed, trying to relax and fall back asleep.

 **. . .**

The nurse exited as everyone was there except for Eret, Camicazi, Nadia, Thuggory, and Ragna. Also Termagant, Alvin, Frida, and Adelaide remained home for this trip only because the remember what happened yesterday. Doctor Eirik Matheson made a theory that perhaps everything at once may have been too much. Astrid, Snotlout, Heather, Dagur, Fishlegs, Minden, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Spitelout were present to visit, though.

"How is he, Nurse?" Eirik asked.

"Well, he's awake but tired I'm afraid. All vitals look okay, and he's still trying to make sense of losing six months of memories," the nurse enlightened.

"Oh, he's awake. Let's go see him," Minden giggled.

The nurse's face turned grim. "Mr. Haddock has requested no visitors tonight," she stated as they all fell quiet.

"Wh-What?" Valka asked, taken back a bit.

"Hiccup woke up as I was checking him over, and he asked if I'd let everyone know he didn't want visitors tonight," the nurse repeated.

"This is…Quite common in comatose patients recovering but also suffer minor memory loss," Eirik stated while leaning on the frame of Hiccup's door.

"Meaning what?" Astrid wondered.

"Hiccup's coma was caused by a traumatic fight with a large dragon who most believed to have gone extinct centuries ago. Seeing something…Unbelievable like this; it puts the patient in a state of shock, and we suspect the coma came on from the fact Hiccup discovered this dragon, and battled it alongside his Night Fury. So, in truth, Hiccup stayed comatose for six days because he was still struggling with the battle in his mind. Now, as he's woken up and we've discovered six months of memories gone; I feel that perhaps the reason he's forgotten things is that he's reverted to a safer time when things were…Simpler," Eirik began to explain.

"So his memories have been erased, everything that happened after Olivia took a turn for the worse. Hiccup thinks it's October 30th, 2021, which is about four days before Olivia passed," Spitelout rubbed his chin.

"Not erased, pushed back to keep him from hurting more while he copes with the loss of everything. You have to see things in Hiccup's eyes. The man found Red Death, battled it with his dragon, then somehow lost his leg. I suspect that Hiccup knows how his leg was removed, and it's subconsciously hidden. Now, in the psychological side of things when we spoke to Hiccup; it doesn't appear that he's recalled losing his leg, but he does know it's gone and suppressing his emotions regarding the incident. Hiccup talks highly about wanting to see Olivia again but thinks that she's tired from her cancer, so he doesn't mind waiting to see her," Eirik stated.

"So you think he knows the leg is gone but doesn't realize it at the same time?" Snotlout asked.

"It's subconscious that he thinks it's there, and the painkillers keep his attention off what he would feel if he didn't have them. Also, he sleeps a lot, so he doesn't get what's happening; he just thinks right now that he got hurt and is recovering in the hospital. At some point, he will get it all back; things will set in, and that will be the beginning of his actual recovery," Eirik remarked.

"So, why can't we sit with him? Wouldn't seeing us help?" Ruffnut tried.

"It would, but if Mr. Haddock has requested no visitors and we will respect that. I told you in the beginning that this will be a process to overcome, and unfortunately; this is part of it. We have to go at Hiccup's pace for this, or it could become a great deal worse," Eirik reminded calmly. Knowing they couldn't do more than what they were for the evening; the visitors for Hiccup Haddock departed from the hospital to get to their homes and hope that they could see Hiccup on Friday.


	51. Road To Recovery

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Road To Recovery

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 8, 2022- 3:00 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Hospital-Recovery Room #2022)**_

Hiccup was glad he sent everyone away on Thursday night; it gave him time to think about things and try to recover some of the last six months. However, it failed. Hiccup had now chosen to take the nurse up on her idea of speaking with family and friends to see if they could fill him in and it would trigger things to come forward. In psychiatry appointments with Dr. Dayvn Lund; he informed Hiccup that it's possible his memories are only pushed back to keep Hiccup from feeling more pain about the situations they relate to. Hiccup didn't quite understand what that meant, but Dr. Lund said talking with family and friends would help too, so Hiccup was willing to give things a try. Hiccup knew his leg was gone; it was hard to miss when he got help out of bed to use the bathroom or wash up a bit. Hiccup noticed, though, that overnight it seemed; he relived the shock of seeing it gone each time he woke up. Hiccup had a hard time processing that it was gone, and all the thinking ended up making him tired, so he'd get some sleep.

Hiccup woke up around 7:30 am, ate breakfast, got washed up and returned to his bed to relax a bit and collect his thoughts until lunch. At 12:15 pm; Hiccup received lunch and continued to relax a bit while debating how to tackle everything because there was a lot of confusion from the day he woke up. An example was seeing Astrid, Eret, Ragna, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Nadia present in the room. The six claimed to be Hiccup's friends, but Hiccup felt something like that would never happen. However, Hiccup felt that maybe something happened in the six months he lost that changed things, and as such; he felt that he should hear their side of things, and perhaps one of his parents or other friends could confirm if it was the truth or not. Hiccup would worry about that later; first, though, he needed to see his daughter. Among the things from when Hiccup rushed into surgery was his cell phone, which survived whatever he'd been through. Taking a deep breath sent a group message to certain people; inviting them to come to the hospital and see him.

 **New Group Message  
To; **_**Mom's Cell, Dad's Cell,**_

There was a pause as he went looking for Astrid's number. Her number didn't come up under the contact of _Astrid's Cell_ ; it came up as _Asty's Cell_. Hiccup stared at it a few moments. _Asty_ was something he called Astrid back when they were friends before she met the others. That was Hiccup's nickname for Astrid; _Asty_ and hers for Hiccup was _Hic_. Slightly confused, but wanting to know more; he added her name to the group message before typing something short into the text box.

 _You[3:02 pm]  
U can visit but only you 3. And bring Runa, plz? _

Hiccup set his phone down and relaxed a bit. Ten minutes went by as he heard the device vibrating on the bedside table. Lifting it up, he saw a response in the group message he had started.

 **Dad's Cell[3:10 pm]  
** _ **I have a meeting to attend but will send Gobber in my place for now and hope I can come by to see you later, son. I love you.**_

Hiccup shrugged it off for a moment to see Astrid's reply underneath his father's.

 **Asty's Cell[3:11 pm]  
** _ **I be there. Dagur dropping me off.**_

Hiccup was about to reply to both Astrid and his father when his mother responded.

 **Mom's Cell[3:13 pm]  
** _ **I will be there with Runa in 15 mins. Love you!(heart)**_

Well, at least now he could reply to all three of them in one shot. Tapping the text box and seeing the curser; Hiccup started typing.

 _You[3:15 pm]  
Dad; Ok & u can come after ur meeting. Luv u 2. Astrid; No prob. Mom; C u soon. Luv u more._

After pressing Send and seeing that the message came up Delivered and who had read it so far, Hiccup set the phone down to lay back and close his eyes. Hiccup knew he might as well rest before his mother, unofficial uncle, and Astrid arrived, and Hiccup would be taking in the last six months of whatever he had forgotten.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:35 pm}**_

About twenty minutes later, Valka arrived with Runa in her arms, her purse, and the diaper bag over her shoulder. Gobber was right beside her as they came up to the door to see Astrid sitting in a chair outside the room. Hiccup had been moved to a recovery room as he was awake and healing well, so he didn't need ICU anymore

"Has he…Changed his mind on visitors?" Gobber asked.

"No, I was in there when I got here ten minutes ago. Hiccup was sleeping, but then he woke up and said he was going to use the restroom. I came out here to get a snack and drink, but by then; the nurse had gone in to check him over or something and asked me to sit outside until she was done," Astrid explained.

The door to the room opened after Astrid finished and the nurse came out with a smile. "I only asked you to come out here because Hiccup is having some…self-esteem issue about anyone seeing his left leg. Well, the nub at least. He'll get past that with time, but for now, don't draw attention to it," she informed.

"We understand," Valka nodded. The nurse headed off to the next room as Gobber opened the door and poked his head in. Hiccup was laying down with his head back, but glanced over and gave a soft smile.

"Hey, laddie…Stand-in father has arrived," Gobber joked as he walked in, then behind him was Valka holding Runa, and lastly, Astrid, who closed the door once she was inside.

"Hi, Gobber…" Hiccup gave a weak wave. "Hey, Mom and Astrid," he greeted.

"Dada! Up! Uppy!" Runa leaned away from Valka to get to her father. Hiccup sat up a bit and smiled as he extended his arms to take his daughter.

"There's my girl," Hiccup lit up with joy. Runa snuggled into her father right away as he rubbed his nose to hers, then kissed her cheeks and forehead. "I've missed you so much…" he breathed out. Runa instantly laid her head on his chest and relaxed instantly. "Well, this makes me feel so much better already," he added, then directed his attention to Gobber, his mother, and Astrid standing in the room near him.

"We're glad you said we could visit," Valka kissed his forehead now. "How are you feeling?"

"Just recovering I guess…Not sure how long until I can get out of here and maybe do the rest at home," Hiccup shrugged.

"I can talk with the doctor about it, lad," Gobber offered.

"Please?" Hiccup asked. Gobber nodded as he headed out of the room quickly. "So…I bet you're wondering why I asked for just a few people to come…"

"A little bit, yes," Valka replied.

"I know I should let things come back on their own, but I thought if maybe you told me some stuff; I might get trigged and recall it…" Hiccup looked at them.

"What do you want us to tell you?" Astrid wondered.

"Anything in the last six months…I know I'm missing a lot of vital stuff. And from you, Astrid; I was hoping you could tell me how and why we are friends. Meaning me, you, and the other five. I didn't see Gruffnut among them," Hiccup stated.

"Gruffnut left the group; he dropped out and moved away. Only his parents seem to have contact with him," Astrid informed truthfully.

"Ah," Hiccup nodded, not fully understanding, but he was sure he would later on. "So…Who wants to start?" he asked curiously.

"I can, son," Valka said, then took a breath. "Are you sure you're ready for it?"

"I can only assume that a lot of it will be hard to take, but that's why I've been taking a few days to prepare myself for it. So, just lay it on me," Hiccup looked at her. Valka and Astrid nodded and began. Valka told Hiccup everything from the night he'd woken up thinking it was October 30th, 2021 to current events. Astrid jumped in a bit too, so Valka could have a break from talking. At some point around the events of January; Gobber returned and helped a bit with some things. Finally, almost forty-five minutes later; the story ended with Gobber's telling of Hiccup taking his friends to Dragon Island and taking on Red Death. Also, that Astrid rushed him to the hospital after he was found in Toothless's wings.

"And that's…Everything, Hiccup," Astrid said while Gobber was taking a drink of water. Hiccup hadn't said much; he wanted to hear everything and only spoke up if he needed to confirm something that got said.

"Okay, just to clarify everything in a short summary…" Hiccup paused as the three adults looked at him while he was burping Runa. "Olivia passed away five to ten minutes after we got married at her hospital bedside. Your parents, Astrid, passed away in a house fire and something with the wills messed up to leave you homeless, carless, and without the other six from your former popularity group,"

"Right," Astrid nodded.

"I got you a job at Archia Burger towards the end of December 2021, then found you homeless on the streets during a snowstorm. Now, you're living at Haddock Manor in the room across from my parents'. Somewhere in all this; the populars realized that their way of life is awful and came to apologize to you and me; then I forgave them. Shortly after this; I discovered Red Death…And here we are now about a week later with me in a hospital, my left leg gone, and recovering?"

"You got it, laddie," Gobber confirmed.

"Wow," Hiccup stated.

"And are you okay?" Valka inquired.

"Well, it's a lot to take in, but as you mentioned some of the bigger things; I started recalling them. So it's not as difficult to process knowing it did happen and I'm able to remember some things,"Hiccup responded truthfully.

"What specific things do you remember?" Dr. Matheson's voice came as Hiccup saw him standing in the doorway.

"Olivia passing, but I've seen that since I woke up…Bits and pieces. After Mom said what day it happened on; I recall it all. Uh…I remember Astrid's parents passing, and her slowly losing everything until I gave her a job and found her. I made her return to my house and said she was staying until she got on her feet. I slightly remember my dad becoming the new Mayor; that's still fragments," Hiccup admitted.

"Do you…Remember us becoming friends again, a-and the others?" Astrid hoped.

"I mean; kinda. It's not all there, but I see some of it. I remember us making up, and a lot of the shit they gave you…I recall when you asked me to talk to them, then some sleepover we had that same night," Hiccup stated.

"Yeah, that's when I got into the car accident with your Jeep. You invited Eret, Cami, Nadia, Thug, and Ragna over so they could finish saying sorry. After that you forgave them, and we all had a sleepover," Astrid assured.

"Yeah, that's coming through more now," Hiccup nodded.

"Now, Hiccup…I wanted to ask you something, but I'm not sure if even you know…" Eirik moved closer to the bed.

"And that would be?" Hiccup wondered.

"You were found wrapped in your Night Fury's wings after the explosion, and your leg was already gone…Do you know what happened?" Eirik questioned. The room was a bit quiet, but eyes on Hiccup to see if he would know. Hiccup looked deep in thought; his eyes closed.

"It's…fuzzy; the battle that is," Hiccup admitted.

"That's alright. I just want to know if you remember anything from the start of the explosion to the last moment you remember," Eirik tried.

Hiccup tried to focus on it, but nothing came forward. Hiccup sighed finally. "I'm sorry; I don't remember much of that. Like I said; it's fuzzy, so maybe with more time, but right now…Nothing," Hiccup said.

"No problem. We can try again in a few days, or you can let me know if anything comes up," Eirik smiled.

"About that…Do I have to stay here?" Hiccup asked as Eirik blinked a bit.

"Beg your pardon?" Eirik questioned.

"I'm awake and recovering my memories just fine…Can't I go home for the rest and still come back for checkups or whatever?" Hiccup asked again.

"Well, I…Don't see why not? But at home you might not have all the help you get-," Eirik began.

"There is a full staff at home of people I trust and see daily who can help me, Doctor Matheson. I'm a single father, and still have school to get through. I won't allow such a small thing as this to hold me back. I have to take care of my little girl, and attend classes…I can do all that while waiting for this," he lifted his left nub a bit. "To heal enough for physical therapy and prosthetics in three or so weeks," Hiccup stated firmly.

"How do you propose to get around? Hiccup, son; you've lost your-," Eirik started.

This time, Hiccup's eyes narrowed a bit. Gobber, Valka, and Astrid bit back a little knowing that was a look Hiccup gave when he was beginning to get ticked off. The door opened revealing Stoick now. "A limb lost doesn't stop a person from living. Members of the Armed Forces do it every day after fighting in wars where they are injured. My son lost his limb the same way those brave men and women have lost theirs; he protected his home from an enemy. Hiccup lost his leg, not his will to continue living his life every day. You can release him, Doctor. Hiccup will be just fine at home with some help, support, and likely a pair of crutches," the man stated.

Hiccup was a bit surprised at his father's impeccable timing, but impressed and slightly moved by the words. Stoick Haddock, the man who never supported Hiccup's choice to join the army after High School just stepped up to say Hiccup was a man who was willing to sacrifice his life to protect his home as the men and women who protect the island do. "The lad is a hero," Gobber said. "And that's coming from a guy who did serve in the wars," he added with a grin.

"Very well," Eirik sighed, clearly defeated. "But I want to see him once a week until the leg is cleared for physical therapy and prosthetic use," he added in a strict tone.

"Understood," Valka beamed. Hiccup was glad he would be getting to go home.

"I will start the paperwork while a nurse will come in to show you how to care for the leg on your own. We will provide crutches for you to use. I'll also write a note for the school to allow him time before class ends to get to his next one without the worry of stampeding students. Is there any of your friends who share every period with you?" Eirik asked.

"I do," Astrid piped up.

"You will accompany him in the halls and to the outside of restrooms," Eirik pointed. Astrid nodded her head to the doctor, understanding. After that; the doctor left. Hiccup sat back, relaxing and still holding Runa; he couldn't wait to get home and be in his own bed to heal. Of course; he had his own ideas of things to keep him busy when not in school, and it was without a doubt he wouldn't be working either.

"I'll take time off work to help you, Hiccup," Astrid said while Stoick, Valka, and Gobber were chatting about how to have people help Hiccup at home.

"You need the money, Astrid," Hiccup sighed.

"One of the things I didn't tell you before because it's being kept under wraps from your parents, and our friends is that the fire that took my home and parents was intentional. Someone killed them and has been gunning for me too. Spitelout and Agent Hoark allowed you to be my personal bodyguard. We share classes because my schedule changed to fit yours. You and I aren't supposed to be apart unless I'm in the bathroom," Astrid explained.

"You know, now that you mention that; I was wondering why we shared classes when we didn't before. This makes much more sense now. I assume we had the same shifts too?" Hiccup asked quietly as Astrid nodded to him. "I'll work that out with Henrik; you sure you're okay losing all that money a week, Astrid?"

"I'm taking care of you as you've done for me. It's my esteemed pleasure and honor. At least I still get to be with you all the time, bestie," Astrid giggled a bit. Hiccup tried to smile and figured it was pointless to change Astrid's mind. Once she decided on something; that was it. Hiccup remained relaxing until all this preparation to go back home was done.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:45 pm}  
(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup had everyone leave when it came to the nurse showing him how to complete home care for his left leg's nub. Valka explained to Stoick in the hallway way Hiccup kicked everyone out of the room. Doctor Matheson was in the room to speak with Hiccup before releasing him. But almost forty minutes later after Eirik said he would let Hiccup leave; they were done, and Hiccup was discharged with notes for school and work, his next doctor and psychiatry appointments, and also a written version of home care directions. There was always the things to watch out for and bring back if the condition worsened. Hiccup exited the room slowly on a pair of crutches that had been adjusted for him and were comfortable for use. Stoick got Hiccup into his car with Valka, Gobber, Runa, and Astrid; then they hit the road to return to Berk.

 _Finally…_ Hiccup thought. Hiccup had requested to his parents that no one come over, but it seemed they had forgotten to pass the memo along. As expected; Hiccup's other few family members and friends came to see him. _And here we go._ Hiccup sighed as he got through the door to see them there with smiling faces. At the moment; Hiccup was wearing hospital things still, only because he didn't have anything to change in to. The left pants leg was hanging like normal even though there was no leg to fill it out as the right side did.

"Let's give him some space," Dagur mentioned as Hiccup got inside his home.

"We can set you up on the first level, son," Valka offered.

"I can use the elevator just fine, Mom. Thank you, though," Hiccup stated as he made his way to the elevator near the kitchen and headed upstairs. Everyone used the stairs to follow him up, which Hiccup didn't really like; they were crowding him to make sure he was okay. Hiccup just wanted to lay down and get some sleep, also process the rest of the things he heard from his mother, Astrid, and Gobber earlier. And Hiccup couldn't do that with everyone around him. After sitting on his bed and leaning the crutches against the wall; Hiccup leaned back on his pillows once he had propped up his nub like instructed. Letting out a sigh of comfort; he closed his eyes.

"Do you need anything?" Ruffnut asked.

Hiccup knew it might be cold of him, but all he wanted was to be alone right now. Hiccup sighed and glanced at them. "I know you're all trying to help, but right now…I just want to be left alone. It's been a long couple of days…I'm still taking in information from before, and I'm tired…So can we all just…Maybe back off for a couple of days?"

"Of course, Hiccup; we understand. Don't hesitate to call, though," Minden reminded with a smile.

"I won't…Thanks for understanding," Hiccup smiled some. Everyone filed out and closed the door as Hiccup closed his eyes and tried to relax. The others already understood that this is what Doctor Matheson was talking about on Thursday afternoon. After Hiccup accepted the loss of his leg and began to remember; he would need time to get through things and that it would mark the starting point on his road to recovery. _  
_


	52. Discovered Dilemma

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Discovered Dilemma

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 22, 2022-6:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

It's officially been two weeks since Hiccup woke up from his six-day coma, but three weeks since the battle with Red Death where Hiccup defeated the beast and lost his left leg around the shin area. I suppose that it wasn't really his leg because Hiccup still has his thigh, knee, and part of his shin. I'd say Hiccup lost his foot in my opinion, but I'm not a medical professional. Doctor Matheson keeps saying leg, so that's what we leave it at. Hiccup would be able to start physical therapy with a prosthetic next week as long as the doctor gave the okay that Hiccup's leg was healed and ready to move forward in the process. Hiccup has recovered his memories of the last six months, thankfully. It happened by the end of the week after Hiccup was released from the hospital, so by April 15th; it had all come forward. I guess attending school and being home helped bring everything back. I was happy he remembered everything, but I knew Hiccup was miserable about the final outcome of the fight with Red Death, and who could blame the guy? I certainly couldn't and wouldn't.

Returning to Archian Preparatory on Monday the 11th of April had been interesting. Hiccup and I arrived on Stormfly together, then made our way inside the school. It's my job to stay with him at all times unless Hiccup is using the bathroom. For that, one of Hiccup's male friends would walk with him; it would be whoever was in that period with us. If it happened during a class switch; I would just stand outside the restrooms against the wall. I could tell Hiccup was getting annoyed with everyone always looking at him, but he kept his mouth shut and went about his day. Hiccup was using crutches to get around, and we'd leave five minutes before the bell to get to the next period before the halls became crowded. Hiccup is being seen once a week for checkups on his recovery, and also an appointment three times a week for working with the leg to strengthen it to try a prosthetic out. Hiccup is still teaching Dragon Training, but Dagur is the one to use Shattermaster to give the physical example of what we have to do; Hiccup talks, but can't ride since Toothless's rig is still out of commission.

I wasn't sure what Hiccup would do about that; he'd mentioned rebuilding in but would need a lot of materials. However, Stoick and Valka wanted Hiccup to take it easy for another week until Dr. Matheson gave Hiccup the all clear of being healed with his nub. But until Hiccup can fly Toothless again; we take Stormfly to and from school since the Jeep is gone thanks to the accident I was in not too long ago. Hiccup and I aren't working anymore; he can't, and I'm not supposed to be away from him for my own protection. Also, Hiccup was still giving Dragon Training lessons at his house on Friday nights, and it would be Saturdays and Sundays too. There was a lot of catching up to be done before Finals, which had now been announced for the week of the 16th in May. That wasn't too far off; then after Finals, it would be Prom and Graduation. I do my best to help Hiccup, but Hiccup has been trying to adjust on his own; he doesn't take help unless he absolutely needs it. Hiccup showers, takes care of Runa, gets around, and tries to do everything he used to do. The most Hiccup lets me do is hold Runa while he does something, or sometimes just grab him something from across the room after he's sitting.

Things have been hard for Hiccup, and I can tell he's not as happy as he was before the battle. We may have Dragon Training Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but Hiccup won't hold his weekly sleepovers anymore. We hang out until about 7:30-8 pm; then everyone leaves because Hiccup is tired and looks bored. I know he's upset about his new limitations, but Hiccup losing his leg came from saving his home; the entire island. I guess Hiccup doesn't see it the way everyone else does. Reporters from news and daily papers have been trying to get a statement from Hiccup, but he refuses to talk to them and has asked his family and us to keep quiet as well. Of course, we respect his wishes. I assume that Hiccup isn't ready to talk about it publically yet. Also, Hiccup sees a psychiatrist once a week too; Dr. Matheson reported that Hiccup seemed to be doing well in the sessions. Hiccup didn't mention anything regarding what was talked about, but we all felt that it was Hiccup trying to deal with the trauma of losing his foot.

Still, I felt like there was more going on and I wanted to know what, so that way I could try to help. Hiccup has done a lot for me, and I owe the guy my life on more than one account. I like Hiccup a lot, and I wanted to tell him, but I knew my timing couldn't be worse as we both had a lot going on right now. I was still a target, though, attacks on me seemed to have ceased for the time being. And Hiccup was dealing with his loss of limb, while likely still mourning Olivia who passed away a few weeks before my parents were killed. I planned to talk to Hiccup tonight, but I forgot it was a Friday, so we've finished Dragon Training and just had dinner with Hiccup's parents and Godfather. Runa is with her grandparents and uncle on Olivia's side of the family for the weekend; Hiccup would get her back on Sunday afternoon. Our friends were over, but as expected; Hiccup just wasn't into doing much. I see him now, across the dinner table eating silently and not looking up or joining in the conversations.

"Are you excited for next week, son?" Stoick asked. Hiccup didn't answer.

"Laddie?" Gobber tried. "Are ya listening?" he tried, nudging Hiccup in the arm a bit. Hiccup flinched a bit and lifted his eyes up slightly, but not much.

"Your father asked if you're excited for next week?" Valka inquired with a soft smile.

"What is there to be excited about?" Hiccup asked before taking another bite.

"You get to start using a prosthetic," Gobber reminded.

"No, I get to sit in a physical therapy office and try to walk with one or many different prototypes, then if there is one that works well; they'll go through the motions of ordering one specifically to fit me just right. It's still a process that has yet to end…" Hiccup muttered.

"But it's still a step towards finishing everything," Heather tried.

"Yeah. Things will go back to normal soon; it just takes-," Camicazi started, but Hiccup closed his eyes as he pushed away from the table and grabbed the crutches that were lying on the floor beside him. Seconds later, he was making his way towards the exit of the dining room.

"You just don't get it. There is no _going back_ , okay? My leg is gone, and no amount of robotic, metal-made prosthetics are going to make things _normal_ again. No amount of doctors and psychiatry appointments are going to turn back the clock to what it was before. This is the outcome for what I did a few weeks ago. The choices you make every day shape your future, and my choices caused things to change mine. I'm not saying I regret what I did, but everything regarding my life…Is different now, and that is something I have to live with. Please excuse me," Hiccup disappeared from sight. The diners in the room let out a collective sigh knowing that Hiccup was now in his 'I'd like to be left alone' mood.

"It's probably going to be like this for a while, lads and lasses," Gobber stated. "It's nothing against any of you,"

"We know that Hiccup is dealing with some stuff," Fishlegs mentions.

"It's more than _some_ ," Valka informed. "Recalling six months of memories, waking up after a six-day coma, working through appointments for the checkups, trauma from the battle, losing his leg, and the physical therapy to walk without crutches," she added. "It's quite a bit to deal with in a such a short time,"

"We know, Mrs. Haddock, but we want to help him…It just seems like he shuts down instead of opening up," Snotlout remarked. "And that's not like Hiccup,"

"Well, some events can change things, kids," Stoick said. "What Hiccup went through, as Valka explained, was by no means easy. What Hiccup did was fearless, courageous, brave even…But it was dangerous, and Hiccup did not escape unscathed. As I recall; the only thing Hiccup can't seem to remember is how he lost his leg. It seems he does know, but things are still blurred. The doctor explained that it might reveal once he's recovered physically and mentally,"

"What do you mean?" Nadia wondered.

"What Hiccup went through was traumatic, and right now; he's still coping with the things he couldn't remember. And if he does know what happened to him to lose his leg; his mind is…blurring the event because so much is going on. Like a victim working through…Rape, shall we say; it has to be approached in sections. You figure that Hiccup has to feel all of that what was lost for a brief period again. And still, work through Olivia's death as it was something he had to deal with before the battle. Basically, like a military person suffering PTSD and having to cope with things; Hiccup has to do the same, going through everything that's affecting him, which is why he's not rejecting the psychiatry appointments," Gobber explained.

"Because he knows how much it hurts him and he wants help to feel better?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Exactly. I feel that once he gets through everything before the accident; what happened to him will come forward and that will be a large hurdle he has to overcome," Stoick nodded.

"Well, we're here for him," Ruffnut informed. "Whatever he needs,"

However, I wasn't sold on their explanation. Hiccup didn't seem confused and trying to remember something that happened; he was too miserable like he did know what happened. Something that Hiccup said before leaving the room made me think that. Hiccup said that the choices you make define your future and his choice to battle Red Death changed his, and now everything about his life is different; that he has to live with that. What was in Hiccup's future that altered drastically? Hiccup could do everything he could before, couldn't he? Well, not right now because he didn't have a prosthetic fitted for him, but soon he would? I've seen amputee patients move around as if nothing changed. So what did Hiccup mean?

"Is Hiccup going to go back to Archia Burger?" Eret wondered.

"I don't know what he plans to do now," Valka replied. "Hiccup doesn't appear to want to talk about it,"

That's when it hit me like a pile of rocks. Hiccup's plans! Gods, how did I not realize it sooner?! My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped open a bit. I got up from my seat and made my way upstairs to locate Hiccup. I'm sure the others wanted to know what this was all about, but I had a theory, and I needed to know if I was right. If I was; I knew Hiccup needed comfort. I hoped this would go well.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor; Hiccup's Room)**_

I reached Hiccup's room and took a breath. I knocked three times and stepped back.

"Who is it?" I heard Hiccup inquire quietly.

"Your best human friend," I replied gently.

"Hi, Astrid…" Hiccup replied through the door.

"Hey…Can I come in?" I wondered.

"Sure…" Hiccup trailed off as I opened the door and walked inside to find Hiccup sitting on his bed with some papers scattered around him. Pamphlets about the military; jobs, tests, joining process. I saw forms that Hiccup had already filled out and pre-dated for after high school graduation, which right now was set for Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at the Archian Preparatory central Soccer field. Seeing all these things out; I knew I was right on what was bothering Hiccup. "They sent you to check on me?"

"No; I just thought you could use a friend," I smiled. "Are you alright?"

"I've always accepted everything as it happened, Astrid; whether I liked or approved of it. I'm not a guy who complains or fights the things that come my way. But this…" Hiccup motioned to the things around him. "It's the one thing I've always wanted and been sure of for years. No doubts, no hesitations…I've dreamed of joining the Archia Isle Armed Forces and becoming a member of the Army…This was the job I wanted for my future…And now it's gone…And I can't accept it…" Hiccup closed his eyes. "So to answer your question…No. No, I'm not alright…"

"Is this what you meant earlier downstairs? That your choices define your future, and yours has changed?" I decided to ask.

"It's the truth, Ast. Every choice made has an effect on something else…I've always weighed my options in careers, thought carefully about my decisions before making them…I don't regret the battle with Red Death; I know what I did saved dragons and humans…But that choice cost me my chance to join the army…" Hiccup explained. "I was so ready to do it. I did my research, talked to the right people, stayed in perfect condition to do all the physical fitness, studied for the tests to ensure I got the position I wanted in the military…I got all this stuff filled out as soon as I turned eighteen, pre-dated it too…Ready to hand it over a little after graduation…" Hiccup continued softly, sadly and it broke my heart.

"Hiccup…" I whispered. I truly felt like he was about to cry.

 _=Normal POV=_

Out of curiosity, the diners downstairs hurried after Astrid and snuck into the Sitting Room of Hiccup's bedroom while quietly, and carefully listening to what Hiccup and Astrid were talking about; hoping to get a glimpse into why Astrid darted upstairs suddenly. However, what they heard is something they didn't expect.

"And now all I'm going to get to do is throw it away, and continue to watch from the sidelines as I did as a kid when Uncle Gobber marched the parades, came home from tours of duty like the hero he is for fighting for our home. It's all I ever wanted…To be like him and all the others heroes. I can watch all those men and women serve their home, protect the people they love most…" Hiccup choked up a little as I saw him shaking a bit. Astrid quickly moved in to hug him. "But I'll never get to be one of them…I was so close, Astrid. So close I could taste, see, feel, smell, hear everything about that lifestyle. But now…No. It's just gone. I'll always just be another civilian; but never a soldier. Never a hero…"

And much to everyone's surprise, Hiccup lowered his head until his forehead was on Astrid's shoulder and started crying. Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup tightly and let him cry on her. Now, not everyone heard the whole conversation, but it was clear why Hiccup was so distracted and miserable lately. Hiccup realized that he couldn't join the military anymore, and it was hurting him pretty badly for him to break down and cry on Astrid, who appeared to have figured out before running upstairs what might be wrong. The only thing left to figure out with more time was if Hiccup knew what happened to him or had it really been just a freak accident from the battle.


	53. Another Form Of Protection

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Another Form Of Protection

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, April 22, 2022-7:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Astrid felt like she could only hold Hiccup once he had begun crying. Its what anyone would do in this situation. Hiccup had been dreaming of joining the army for years from the stories Astrid had heard, and now with his foot being gone; that dream was dead. Hiccup would never be able to join with a prosthetic limb, and the more Hiccup sat with knowing his leg was amputated; the reality set in that the one thing Hiccup wanted to do was no longer within reach. Astrid felt like this is what had Hiccup so miserable, and she was right. Stoick, Valka, and the others who were over for dinner at the Haddock residence realized that Astrid must have figured out what was wrong, and that's why she bolted from the dining room to get upstairs. Hiccup had been crying for about fifteen minutes, and Astrid's heart went out to her best male friend; her best female friend was Heather hands down. Astrid didn't know what else she could possibly do at this moment, but she knew that Hiccup probably needed this; to cry. Sometimes it just made you feel better when you stopped holding in pain.

"We should go back downstairs…" Dagur stated.

"But…" Valka began.

"Dagur is right, Val," Spitelout interjected.

"Hiccup is not going to appreciate us spying on him," Gobber added. "Astrid is Hiccup's best friend, and she must have discovered what was bothering Hiccup; that's why she came to comfort him,"

"Can't we do the same?" Heather tried.

"It wouldn't be the best idea to insert ourselves right now. I think Astrid can handle it," Stoick reminded his wife. "Don't forget that we haven't been the most supportive of his desire to join. Jumping in on a matter like this might just upset Hiccup further,"

Valka nodded, understanding. "Let's all get back downstairs to finish eating," Frida suggested. Quietly, the minor group of people got out of the Sitting Room and returned to the first level, now leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone in Hiccup's room. Astrid continued to hold Hiccup, rubbing his back a little and trying to soothe him; she knew he was having a hard time with everything, but this being unable to join the military aspect had to be the worst pill to swallow as it were. Hiccup admitted that he couldn't accept it as he'd done with so many other things.

Another five minutes must have gone by before Hiccup's crying stopped, leaving only sniffles and light coughing. Astrid pulled back a little and looked at Hiccup's face. "I'm…Sorry…"

"Sorry for what, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, a bit surprised at his words.

"Crying on you…" Hiccup sniffled, wiping the wetness from his cheeks.

"Stop being so proud. You're human, Hiccup, and we all have emotions that sometimes can't be contained through silence or hours of thinking. Especially things like this…You're allowed to be upset about it, and pain often comes out as tears," Astrid informed gently as she moved from the edge of the bed to get Hiccup a couple of tissues from the bathroom for him. "Here," she handed them off.

"Thanks…" Hiccup replied as he blew his nose a few times, and ended up palming away the rest of his tears. Hiccup tossed the tissue in the trash can by his bed; then he began putting all the military things away in the green folder they had been kept in. After that, Hiccup put the folder in his nightstand drawer and sat back a bit. "What made you come to check on me?"

"Well, everyone wondered when you'd stop shutting down on us, and Eret asked if you planned to go back to Archia Burger. Your mom said she didn't know what you'd do now and…I don't know; I guess something clicked that the reason you might be upset is that you said your future had changed. The one thing you've always wanted is to join. As soon as I realized it; I came running up here," Astrid explained lightly.

"You came running for me?" Hiccup asked.

"Of course…You're my best friend," Astrid said. "You've done so much for me, Hiccup and…I just want to do things for you too. Well, you know…Make sure you know that I'm here for you as well; that you're not alone…Like you told me I wasn't and didn't have to go through this by myself,"

Hiccup smiled a little as he nodded. "I get it," Hiccup replied. "And thanks, Astrid. That, uh, that means a lot to me…" he admitted.

"We know you're dealing with a lot, Hiccup…But we're your friends, and we'll help any way we can…Just don't shut us out…" Astrid reminded.

"I know that Astrid; it's just hard…I'm used to being the one who helps everyone else. I guess it's a lot different to be the one who takes the help offered. But I do appreciate that all of you are coming to my aid…" Hiccup said.

"I think it's the least we can do after what you did for us," Astrid smiled softly. "Oh, and one more thing…" she began as Hiccup looked at her. "You are a hero. You risked yours and Toothless's lives for the entire island against Red Death. You didn't have any special training, use any weapons, or fight with a group of others. You and Toothless found the source of the problem, then acted selflessly and alone to defeat that dragon without any hesitation," Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "You did exactly what you wanted to do; protected your home and the people you love. And guess what? You didn't do it as a soldier; it was as a civilian. So don't think you have to join the military to be a hero, Hiccup, because you already are one in my eyes and many others too," Astrid kissed Hiccup's cheek then stepped back while heading for the door. "Come back down and join us when you're ready, okay? We miss our leader, and those Friday night sleepovers," after that; she was gone with a giggle; leaving Hiccup utterly stunned about what she had said, and the small kiss to his cheek.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor; Dining Room)**_

Astrid smiled as she returned to the room with the others; eyes fell on her. "What?" Astrid asked.

"Where were you?" Heather inquired.

"Just…Checking on Hiccup; I'm his best friend after all," Astrid sat down to continue eating.

"Yeah…Cut the crap, Astrid. We followed you upstairs and heard what Hiccup said was bothering him…" Snotlout stated.

"I know; I saw you," Astrid replied casually. "And you will act as if you know nothing. I got him to calm down, and I don't want to see Hiccup get upset or mad if he finds out you were eavesdropping…"

"I-Is he okay?" Valka wondered nervously.

"I'm sure he will be with a little more time, Mrs. Haddock. Hiccup will tell everyone what's wrong when he's ready." Astrid enlightened.

"Is he going to come back down?" Stoick asked.

"I invited him to join us when he was ready, so give it a bit," Astrid responded.

"Will do," Dagur nodded. "And good for you, Astrid…For figuring out what was bothering him,"

"I've known something was making his miserable for a while; I just didn't realize what it was until tonight when Hiccup said his choice, while he didn't regret it, cost his future to change. The one thing Hiccup looked forward to was joining the military," Astrid reminded.

"We should have seen it right away," Gobber muttered. "Lad has been talking about it for years,"

"And it does hurt Hiccup that this desire is unattainable. However, I think Hiccup will have a new…Perspective of things after our talk upstairs on the matter. So as I said; just leave it be," Astrid informed again while taking a bite of her chicken breast. By 7:45 pm; dinner was over, and everyone was relaxing in the Great Room. Around 8 pm as usual; they'd all be leaving to go home since Hiccup didn't appear to be ready for sleepovers yet. Yet, they were shocked to see Hiccup emerge from the elevator on his crutches and head towards the dining room.

"Oh! Hiccup, son; we're in here now…" Valka called to him. Hiccup stopped and shifted to get inside the Great Room. "Are you still hungry? I had Hagen wrap your plate and set it aside…" she asked.

"I'm okay right now, Mom. Thanks, though," Hiccup replied.

"Take my seat, Hiccup; I know you always sit here by the window," Thuggory offered, getting up from the window seat that faced the stables. Hiccup made his way over, setting the crutches against the wall as he hopped a bit and held his balance while easing himself down onto the window bench and fixing the pillows so he could lean back comfortably. Thuggory moved over to sit next to Camicazi, and everyone stayed quiet since Hiccup seemed deep in thought.

Finally, Hiccup opened the window and lookout outside before giving a semi-long whistle. Seconds afterward, Toothless bounded happily towards the window and poked his head through. The Night Fury excitedly jumped up and down, did a circle and licked Hiccup's face repetitively, which caused Hiccup to laugh a little.

"H-Hi, bud…Yes, I've missed you too," Hiccup chuckled as he rubbed the top of Toothless's head, then under his chin, making the dragon stick his tongue out in enjoyment. Toothless rested his head on Hiccup's lap, crooning contently, then sniffed Hiccup's nub a little, the warbles turning almost sad. "It's okay, pal. I'll be alright…I know you didn't mean it…" he said, but everyone heard it.

"Didn't mean…What?" Spitelout decided to pursue what everyone was wondering.

"Oh, right…You still don't know…" Hiccup remembered that no one knew what happened. "After Toothless's rig broke and I fell off him towards the blast…Toothless dove after me,"

"Well, we know that…We found you in his wings," Astrid stated.

"The only reason he caught me is that he grabbed my leg with his mouth," Hiccup informed as it took everyone a moment, but they got it. Instantly, their eyes widened. Hiccup looked at them now. "Toothless bit my leg off, by accident, and the heat of the fire from the explosion slightly cauterized the wound; then you found me unconscious in his wings," Hiccup confirmed.

"Okay, I get grabbing your leg to stop your descent into the fire, but why bite?" Gobber blinked.

"I assume heat of the moment and Toothless didn't realize how hard he bit; the doctor did say it was a clean break, and Toothless has a strong jaw and bite. It's cool; I'm not mad at him. Toothless saved my life, and hey…Now, we match…" Hiccup laughed a little.

"Match? How?" Nadia said, confused.

"Toothless is missing his left tail fin, and I'm missing my left leg," Hiccup paused, then shrugged. "Well…Half of the shin and foot. Toothless can't fly, and I can't walk, but prosthetics allow us to," he said. Toothless screeched, raising his wings and wanting to fly. "Soon, Toothless. Don't worry, bud. Once mom and dad give me the green light to work in the forge…I'll rebuild the rig. Maybe we can make it better than before," Toothless jumped up and down, his tongue out excitedly. "Yeah? You think so? Well, I'll give it my best," Hiccup promised. "Stronger, lighter, faster…Think we can hit your top speed, or better?" Toothless gave Hiccup a bored look, then nudged into Hiccup a bit, purring. "Guess we'll see, huh?"

"You have a forge?" Tuffnut and Ruffnut blinked as Hiccup nodded.

"Behind Haddock Stables," Hiccup admitted.

"How come we never knew about this?" Heather wondered.

"Oh, come on. I can't tell you everything. If I did; I'd lose my _full of surprises_ factor," Hiccup snickered a bit. "Everyone has secrets," he added.

"Yeah…He's right," Dagur nodded.

"Out of curiosity…What is Toothless's top speed?" Ragna asked.

"I actually have no idea. We've never tested it because Toothless uses a rig I built. If he had his tail fin; Odin only knows how fast he could go without me controlling a leather and metal made prosthetic," Hiccup answered.

"Well, what's the fastest you two have gone?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Uh…I don't know… Maybe around 200 mph?" Hiccup shrugged slightly. "Possibly 250 mph?" It's been a long time since we went ridiculously fast. It only happened because we were testing the rig when I was fifteen, right after I built it. Toothless can obtain faster speeds if we're streamlined,"

"Meaning?" Camicazi wondered.

"Oh! Me lying flat on Toothless. Well, bent over and as leaning forward on him as I can get. Meaning that when we fly, there is nothing for the wind to go against. You notice it when you fly, the wind against you. If you're flat, or as much down as you can get, there is nothing to resist against," Hiccup explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Astrid nodded. "Is that why you always lean forward on Stormfly?"

"Yep," Hiccup replied. "That and some dragons you just have to find others ways to sit down and hold on,"

"Like us with Barf and Belch. Wrapping our legs around their necks and holding the horns," Ruffnut said.

"And me with Hookfang, same thing," Snotlout interjected.

"That's right," Hiccup stated with a nod.

"Can we watch? When you rebuild the rig?" Thuggory inquired.

"I guess if you really want to," Hiccup blinked, surprised that they wanted to see such a process. Though, it wouldn't take nearly as much time as before since Hiccup knew that he was doing this time around. Now, it was quiet as Toothless was purring into Hiccup's touch. Not long after, Stormfly wandered over as well, squawking gently. "Hi, my girl," Hiccup greeted. Hiccup was petting and rubbing both of them, and they were content too. "So…Do you guys wanna stay over?"

"We keep a set of stuff here just for the occasion," Tuffnut grinned.

"And we have things in our vehicles," Nadia said while the rest nodded.

"Awesome; we'll camp in the basement then," Hiccup smiled a bit. Yeah; he felt a lot better than he did prior to Astrid coming to check on him. Hiccup had been miserable of being unable to join the military, but thanks to Astrid's kind, comforting words…Hiccup knew that what he did was probably bigger than anything he could have ever achieved in the army. Plus, now Hiccup could say that he followed in the footsteps of his Viking ancestor; living through a battle with Red Death and preventing another Dragon-Human war.

 **. . .**

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, April 26, 2022-2:05 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

The weekend was great! After Hiccup's minor breakdown about not being about to join the military and us talking; he turned his whole demeanor around to being the happy, carefree, guy we've all come to accept and love as our leader. All of us enjoyed the Friday night sleepover in the basement with snacks, drinks, movies, and games. Well, the guys would game; us girls would chat about whatever and watch the boys battle each other. Hiccup knocked out first, surprising around 11:35 pm, but he was still healing, and his pain medication made him a bit drowsy. The rest of us nodded off between the hours of 12 am and 1:30 am. Hiccup was asleep in his recliner with the leg rest up and an extra pillow under his nub for comfort. Saturday and Sunday mornings involved breakfast, relaxing, and some Dragon Training review before going back into the newer things. We weren't that far off from Finals and Hiccup was ensuring that we would all pass. Also, at the end of this week; if Hiccup's leg was recovered, then he would get to start trying prosthetics on and walking with them. It would be a big step given everything that's happened since the battle.

So, it's Tuesday now, and we're already at the main office for Hiccup. We now use Monday through Thursday on the Dragon Training field from 2 pm to 3 pm. Then on Fridays, it's also 2pm to 4pm, but we do it at Haddock Manor. Saturdays and Sundays; we do in two parts of the day. We do a morning review from 9 am to 10 am. Relax a bit until after lunch; then we do new material from 2 pm to 4 pm. Works out nicely too because our friends would leave Sunday before dinner. And it'd be a good way to unwind and relax before Monday morning. However, Hiccup wasn't here yet, and that was a bit concerning as it was going on 2:05 pm. Hiccup is usually the first one here, but he's slower on the crutches.

Finally, he came up slowly. "You look like you're in pain," Fishlegs observed.

"Forgot to take my pain pill this morning…" Hiccup muttered.

"Well, let's just move the class to your house so you can take one?" Thuggory suggested.

"I'll be okay if I take it easy," Hiccup said. "Let's move; I'm sure Dagur is waiting," he reminded.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:05 pm}**_

Dragon Training was over now, and I could tell Hiccup was more than ready to just get home for a nap with his little girl, Runa.

"Let's get on Stormfly and head to Haddock Manor," I told Hiccup as he nodded, struggling to get up and I could help him onto my Nadder's back. Out of nowhere; I felt someone grab my arm and rip me back and Hiccup fell due to lack of balance. "Hel-," was all I got out before a hand went over my mouth.

"Astrid!" Hiccup yelled, reaching for me. I watched as our friends turned around and rushed back to help, but then I heard the sound of a gun chamber being loaded.

"Not another step or he dies," the male voice warned firmly, and our friends stopped. "I have orders to bring her alive, but he seems to be close to all of you, so I can kill him if you persist," my eyes trailed to Hiccup on the ground and this guy pointing the gun in his direction.

"What do you want?" Dagur asked, keeping the others behind him.

"Someone I know wants something she has," he said. I caught Dagur's eyes locked onto Hiccup's and saw the man give a short, small nod.

"What do you want from me? Just let Hiccup go, and I'll give you whatever it is…" I stated after pulling the man's hand down.

"It's very small; something from your pare'-," the male never finished as I felt myself get jerked forward a bit and the grip on my arm loosened. "Ow! What the he-," the man raged as I got away from him quickly and Dagur pulled me back behind him, and Heather held on to me quickly. I saw what happened; Hiccup had forced him up through the pain and used one his crutches to whack the guy in the back of the head. Hiccup was balancing on one foot to do this with a fierce look in his eyes.

Hiccup didn't waste time as he threw his arm out to knock the gun away, then he used the crutch to hit the guy in the gut, turn it around and lower to knock the man's feet out from under him. Finally; Hiccup rammed the crutch into the guy's stomach once he was down. Hiccup's balance faltered, and the guy tried to make a run for it.

"Idiot," Hiccup grumbled. "Stormfly, fetch!" Instantly, the Nadder perked up and bolted for the man who had her rider, and Hiccup commanded her to get. Stomfly charged and knocked the guy over hard once he tried to run faster in fear of the Deadly Nadder catching him. Stormfly climbed over the male; then sat on his arms. Eret and Dagur helped Hiccup up and kept him on his right foot. "Good girl…" Hiccup praised as the dragon squawked. "Now, bring him back," Stormfly bit the back of the guy's shirt and dragged him back to in front of the stable.

"Let me go!" the man demanded.

"Not a chance…Toothless!" Hiccup called as his Night Fury emerged from the trees slowly, growing low as the man tensed up. "Stormfly, spineshot him in place," Hiccup commanded. Stormfly did so as her spines held the mans arms and legs. "Toothless, guard," the Night Fury gave an affirmative nod; then snarled at the man, making him yelp out in fear. I was still shaking with fear; this is the second time Hiccup had a gun held on him because of me. And Odin only knows how many times Hiccup has protected me, or gotten hurt in my place. I've seen Hiccup fight at full health and strength; right now, he's wounded, and still refusing to allow me to be hurt.

"I'll phone the authorities," Dagur said as he got his phone, and Snotlout took Dagur's place in helping Hiccup get his crutches.

"Ask for Chief Jorgenson and tell him that Astrid was targeted again and I have the attacker. Mention the weapon was seized, and the guy is being held," Hiccup informed, which shocked a few others. Was this a reoccuring thing? Definitely a question for later, but it seemed Hiccup knew what he was doing and very well aware of the situation already. Dagur didn't ask questions; he just nodded. "Astrid…You and I need to talk about another form of protection for you until this is over,"

I looked at him with curosity, and still in fear from before. "What…Did you have in mind?" she dared to ask. Hiccup gave her the hardest stare he could, showing that he was being ridiculously serios.

"I'm going to teach you martial arts," Hiccup informed as my eyes widened a bit.


	54. More Time

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

More Time

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, April 26, 2022-3:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Prep DT Field)**_

Astrid stood there in a bit of shock after what Hiccup stated he was going to do in order for her to stay protected. At least until all of this mess was over. The question was what part of the mess did Hiccup refer to? The fact she's being targeted, or him not having his left foot and extremely limited on how much he can ensure her safety? Astrid didn't know, and it would be discussed later on. For now; her mind was racing with what Hiccup said he was going to do. Hiccup was going to teach her Martial area was eerily quiet, and the feeling that resonated around the small group was shock, fear, and confusion. Finally, Astrid snapped out of her daze, shaking her head to focus more.

"I'm sorry…What did you just say?" Astrid inquired.

"I didn't stutter, Astrid. I'm going to teach you Martial Arts as a method of self-defense," Hiccup repeated.

"B-But…Isn't that why you're assigned to protect me? As my bodyguard?" Astrid questioned quickly.

"And I'm doing the best I can in my current state…But it's not enough, and today was too close for comfort. You need to know how to defend yourself in these situations. Ones where you might be the only one who can fight back or provide an opening for someone else to strike. Everyone here got put at a standstill by that moron pointing a gun at me, threatening to shoot if they moved. Had his focus actually stayed on me; I would not have been able to get up and strike him…" Hiccup explained.

Astrid bit her bottom lip, looking down a little. Hiccup was right; he is injured and supposed to be taking it easy. Astrid knew she couldn't just depend on Hiccup to always come save her and if she could help him in any way; then she needed to step up. Hiccup wasn't saying he would stop, only that he was going to teach her to help herself or him out in a tough spot like minutes ago.

"Okay…" Astrid agreed with a soft nod to Hiccup.

"Please do not think I am mad at you, Astrid. I was charged with protecting you until everything blows over and you are no longer a target, but as you can see…I'm limited to what I can do right now, so I need to teach you how to defend yourself whether you are alone, or in a group. Everything I show you are out of the skill-set I created from years of martial arts training," Hiccup said.

"So like…Karate?" Astrid wondered.

"That and more. I know MMA," Hiccup enlightened.

"Whats…MMA?" Nadia asked.

"Mixed Martial Arts. And it's exactly how it sounds. Various types of Martial Arts mixed into one joined fighting style used for striking and grappling. It's full contact support, and in most professional MMA matches; its no holds barred, meaning no rules. MMA consists of, and this is just a few types; Judo, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Boxing, etc.," Thuggory remarked.

"Good Odin above…And how long did that take you to learn, Hiccup?" Ragna questioned.

"Well, the stuff I know now…two and a half-three years maybe?" Hiccup shrugged, guessing the amount. "Two-three hours a day a few times a week. Learned things from Gobber, Spitelout, and Alvin…" Hiccup replied. Astrid looked terrified of what she was hearing. "Don't look so worried about all the time I've spent training…It was…Preparation for joining the military. You, though, Astrid; you will be learning basics. Only things that you can use to defend yourself from attacks to make a getaway, or someone else gets an opening to take over…"

"A-Are you sure I can do it?" Astrid looked at Hiccup now.

"Of course. Astrid, before all popularity got to your head; you were one of the most fearless people I knew. Well, still know, but you know what I mean. It's just an hour or so a day in the training room of Haddock Manor, which also doubles as the weight area. Like I said, not gonna go crazy…But I am teaching you how to defend yourself," Hiccup stated.

"And a good idea that is too, Hiccup," Spitelout's voice came through. "Just don't hurt yourself; your parents will kill me if they find out about any of this bodyguard and Astrid being targeted stuff," the man added. "So, tell me what happened?" he asked. Astrid looked at Spitelout with a sigh, then began explaining things. Afterward, Spitelout nodded and had two officers get the attacker off the wall while he retrieved the gun from the ground. "We'll take care of this; you kids head home," he ordered.

"Yes, Mr. Jorgenson," everyone replied. Spitelout left with the culprit and his officers as Astrid sighed.

"Astrid…What's going on? Why is Hiccup your bodyguard? Why are you being targeted?..." Eret decided to ask after a few moments of silence.

"It's…A long story," Astrid replied.

"And one we'll need to ask Spitelout if we can share first," Hiccup reminded.

"Ensure no one can hear you and don't reveal every detail. The less who know, the better," Spitelout informed sternly as he'd returned to grab something else he had forgotten; then left once more.

"I guess we're going to my house then…" Hiccup muttered as he locked his crutches on Stormfly and she got lower for him after a hand signal from Hiccup. After that, Hiccup grabbed the saddle and pulled himself up into it carefully, then eased down. "Come on, Astrid…" he leaned a bit and offered his hand to her. Astrid grasped it as Hiccup pulled her up behind him. Astrid put her hands on his shoulders and gave a nod that she was ready.

"We'll meet you there," Astrid said softly.

"You can take the dragons if Dagur guides you," Hiccup added as he gave a whistle to Toothless, and the Night Fury looked at him. "Toothless, home. Stormfly, let's go," Hiccup commanded. The Night Fury bolted into the trees, heading home for Haddock Manor. Stormfly took to the sky, heading for Berk as well.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:40 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Reaching home, Hiccup was happy to get inside and take one of his pain pills instantly. While Hiccup did that, Astrid put Stormfly in Haddock Stables next to Toothless's stall before getting inside to find Hiccup in the Great Room.

"When they arrive, are we talking in here?" Astrid asked.

"No. We have to go somewhere secure, like the basement," Hiccup informed. Astrid nodded, understanding. By 3:50 pm, the friends showed up and were let inside by Sigurd; then taken to the Great Room where Hiccup and Astrid still were.

"So what's going on?" Heather inquired.

"Not here," Hiccup forced himself to get up and adjust his crutches; then he and Astrid led the group to the cellar.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:00 pm}**_

 _ **(Haddock Manor Basement)**_

Once everyone was downstairs and seated somewhere, including Hiccup in his recliner chair; Astrid sighed.

"Talk to us, Astrid," Minden offered gently.

"Everything started after my parents died. When Stoick was reading the will and stuff; it was revealed that my parents wrote own wills, so it was never legal. Stoick had stepped in some years ago to legalize it all, and he only needed my parents' signatures for me to receive everything left to me in the event they passed. Stoick is still working on all that stuff, as far as I know," Astrid began.

"So that's why you ended up broke…But what about the insurance payout?" Thuggory wondered.

"I was hoping on that too, but as it turns out; the insurance won't pay out for an intentional fire. Accidental yes, but not if it was arson," Astrid explained. The friends' eyes widened.

"It means exactly what you think it does," Hiccup piped up. "The fire that destroyed Astrid's home and killed her parents was intentional," he added. "However, the fire investigator and police believe that Astrid was meant to die in the fire as well, but she snuck out to go to Eret's party and wasn't home,"

"Spitelout, Alvin, and an agent from the AIB are working on a case involving a guy who lost to my father in countless elections for Mayor of Archia Isle. This guy apparently wants total control, but never gains Mayorship," Astrid continued.

"Astrid has been attacked a few times since the death of her parents. She's been beaten up walking home from work to a shelter she'd been staying at. Someone tried to grab her as she was walking to school. That guy at school who almost ran her down. Another situation was where you five saw me fighting in the Archia Burger lot; those people were after Astrid then, and we even believe the car accident she was in not long ago may have been another attempt. Spitelout and the agent from AIB believe she's being targeted by the guy who kept losing Mayorship to her dad," Hiccup enlightened.

"But wait…Doesn't that mean you too, Hiccup, could end up being targeted. Anyone in your family because your dad is the Mayor now?" Camicazi inquired.

"It's been brought up in the discussion at the station before. Right now; it seems they only want Astrid…And after today…It looks like they want something she has…" Hiccup said.

"Where did you get that from?" Astrid blinked.

"The guy said he wanted something you have; something small from your parents' house," Hiccup informed. "Or at least that's what he started to say before I whacked him with the crutch. I have zero doubts that your house has been ransacked by these people, looking for whatever small thing this is to give to Bludvist…However; they obviously couldn't find it, so they are turning to you. The only survivor who did get the chance to go into the house and collect things after the fire," Hiccup explained.

"How did you even come to that conclusion?" Eret blinked.

"Timeframe of events. Astrid's parents died in November; she had access to her home to salvage things about a week after the incident. The people who work for the guy who likely ordered the fire to take place wouldn't have been able to gain access to the home until after the cops and fire investigator collected all their information or evidence to tell us the fire was intentional. Astrid started getting attacked in January, and we're in April now. Three months, and today we learned that they want Astrid alive to find whatever it is she may have that was taken from the home that survived the fire," Hiccup said. "Also, I didn't say I was correct about this; it's just a theory based on everything I've seen and heard since Colden and Alva Hofferson passed away," he remarked.

"When are you training me in self-defense?" Astrid inquired.

"Next week after I see how this physical therapy crap goes," Hiccup informed. Astrid nodded to him.

"So, is this why Astrid is living with you and why you two share every class? Because of the targeting thing?" Nadia wondered.

"Astrid is living here because I found her homeless and sleeping on the streets during a snowstorm after work. I made her come here and told her she was staying until she got back on her feet. But yes, we're in the same classes that way I can always watch her. We thought it would draw too much attention for her to have a police detail or agent, so I stepped up as a bodyguard. I'm her age; I can fight, use a gun, and since we're friends; it looked less attractive to others, but I'm sure it's out by now that she's got someone protecting her," Hiccup said.

"Well, we'll help too," Snotlout said.

"No, we can't involve anyone else. We informed you because you happened to be around when all this happened, but you can't tell anyone or act like you know what's going on. We don't want the person the police and AIB are looking for to use more targets. Not even my parents or Gobber know…" Hiccup mumbled.

"You don't like keeping secrets from them, do you?" Fishlegs frowned.

"Of course not. But right now, they are safe not knowing anything," Astrid interjected.

"We understand," the group replied.

"Good…Now if no one minds…I'm taking a nap," Hiccup yawned, adjusting himself in his recliner and closing his eyes. Astrid smiled a bit; then she led the others upstairs and outside to say goodbye to them. Afterward, Astrid joined Hiccup downstairs once more with her homework to do while he slept. For the time being, things were calm, and she may as well focus on her schooling.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, April 29, 2022-3:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle Therapy & Prosthetics)**_

Today was a big day. Hiccup had his first physical therapy appointment where he could try walking with a few different types of prosthetics. The closest appointment to after school was at 3:30 pm, perfect for Hiccup because school released at 3 pm, and it didn't take long to get to the office on a dragon. Valka and Stoick were both going to be present for the event as yesterday at 4:15 pm, Hiccup was cleared by Dr. Matheson to begin using test prosthetics in physical therapy because the nub had healed beautifully. Astrid was, of course, with Hiccup since the two were rarely apart from one another because of the targeting situation. Not that Astrid minded; she'd been helping Hiccup stand, balance, and gain access to his crutches from a sitting down position. For all intensive purposes, Astrid was Hiccup's temporary nurse and physical therapist until today, four weeks since Hiccup lost his part of his left leg.

Stoick and Valka appeared to be running a bit behind, so it was just Hiccup and Astrid for the time being. All of their friends would be at Haddock Manor when Astrid of Hiccup texted to let them know they were headed back there after the appointment.

"Hiccup Haddock?" a nurse called from off a clipboard paper.

"That's me," Hiccup stated as Astrid helped him up and he positioned his crutches. About ten minutes later after getting into a room and checking all Hiccup's vitals and basically doing a standard checkup, a physical therapist had come in to take the nurses place.

"Afternoon. I'm Davyn Lund; I'll be in charge of this whole process with you. You can call me Davyn, or Doctor Lund, whichever you prefer," the man smiled. Hiccup took note of the strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes on this man.

"Hiccup Haddock, just Hiccup is fine. And this is Astrid; she's been helping to take care of me with getting around and what not," Hiccup introduced, shaking the man's hand; then Astrid did the same.

"So ready to give this a shot? I'm sure the nurse went over how today's appointment will go with you?" Davyn asked as Hiccup nodded.

"She did. Let's do it," Hiccup said. Astrid sat back to watch as Hiccup pushed himself up with the arms of the chair he had been sitting in; then got his crutches and moved to the place Davyn wanted Hiccup to use for observation purposes on how Hiccup did.

"Now, just walk along from this place to the end, turn and come back," Davyn instructed. Hiccup did exactly as he was told silently. Around 4 pm, Stoick and Valka arrived as Astrid had them stay quiet while Hiccup was going through the motions of using the parallel bars without the crutches. "Very good with and without crutches. It seems like you've been practicing these exercises," the man chuckled.

"Maybe a bit. Not much seems to hold me back," Hiccup smiled a bit.

"Alright, come back to sit so we can check the muscles, and I can call for one of the basic prosthetics to be brought in to see how you do standing. If you feel comfortable; you may try walking a few steps," Davyn said. Hiccup moved to sit down and let Davyn check over his leg.

"Glad you two could make it," Hiccup said to his parents.

"I'm sorry, son. Got held up in a meeting," Stoick sighed.

"It's okay, Dad. Astrid kept me company," Hiccup said. At 4:10 pm, a nurse entered the room with a box and Hiccup took a need breath.

"Okay, Hiccup. This is a simple prosthetic we have in office based on your weight, height, and where the afflicted area of your amputation is. You have your socket, which is where your nub will be. The rest is a pole to act as yor shin, then a bit of a flat piece to be the make-shift foot. The ankle piece does rotate side to side and up and down as if it were a real limb. Of course, this is temporary, and we'll make you something you can use all the time that only requires minor modifications as you grow into your adult body," Davyn stated, showing Hiccup each part.

"Understood," Hiccup replied. Davyn applied a cloth-like sock over the nub first, then a rubber sock. Once that was on, Davyn slid the socket over the rubber bit and tightened things in place before checking over the rest.

"How's that feel?" Davyn asked.

"So far, so good," Hiccup admitted, though; it was a bit uncomfortable.

"Perfect. Ready to stand?" Davyn inquired. Hiccup took a deep breath and pushed himself up and adjusted before allowing full pressure on his left leg. Hiccup let go of the bars and balanced himself, trying to ignore the pain on the nub he'd barely used in the last four weeks. "Looking a bit tense, Hiccup," Davyn pointed out.

"Just…New is all," Hiccup said. "Hurts a bit, but I assume that's just because I've put no pressure on the left in weeks?"

"Correct. More physical therapy and a proper fitted prosthetic will fix that right up over time," Davyn nodded. "Want to give walking a try?" Hiccup didn't answer; he just stared down at his leg and moved it forward as if he were walking. It wasn't bad until he moved the right up and all the weight was on his left for a moment. Hiccup left side buckled as Astrid reacted right away as she had any time Hiccup lost balance before and moved in to make sure he didn't fall forward.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked instantly.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks for the save…" Hiccup replied, clearly bothered that his attempt to walk failed. Astrid nodded as she got Hiccup back to the chair so he could sit.

"It will take time to walk as if nothing happened, Hiccup. You can't put all the weight on the left just yet, but it seems you stood fine, and can probably walk with crutches, or even a cane for the time being until we get something a bit more stable on the leg," Davyn explained. Hiccup only nodded, a bit discouraged. Hiccup was tired of handicaps; he wanted to walk freely again, he didn't even care if it was with a limp. Hiccup seemed to tune out Davyn talking to him and his parents, just wanting to get home now.

"So Hiccup is free to continue using this at home with crutches?" Valka asked.

"Yes, and I'd like to see him again next week. We'll continue this twice a week, and he can practice at home too as long as someone is with him and he doesn't over do it," Davyn stated.

"Understood. Thank you, Doctor," Stoick nodded. Davyn shook their hands and exited the room while Hiccup got up, with help again from Astrid, then used his crutches to get out of the office with Astrid, Stoick, and Valka behind. Hiccup made the next appointment for Tuesday the 2nd of May at 4 pm. Soon after, everyone left to return to Haddock Manor. Hiccup stayed quiet on Stormfly as Astrid held on.

 _I'm sick of the answer always being 'more time.'_ Hiccup thought, but what more could he do? The leg was still healing even if everything was closed and no infections. Eirik said it could take additional months of therapy for things to be like he never lost the limb as far as walking or running went. Hiccup had no choice but continue waiting and giving it more time before things were somewhat normal again.


	55. Halfway

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Halfway

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, April 30, 2022-10 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Getting back to Hiccup's house on Friday night had been interesting. Hiccup wasn't in the mood to talk about how things went; he just sighed and went to take a bath because his nub was bothering him. Later on, Hiccup still allowed the sleepover to take place as it was a Friday night, and he wasn't going to shut out his friends over the visit to the office. Yeah, it was the first appointment trying a basic prosthetic, but Hiccup had wished it went better. At the very least; he was able to use the fake leg to practice more by standing up, balancing, and walking. Hiccup could wear pants over the leg, and a shoe, so he would look semi-normal again even being that he had to use the crutches to get around on his own. The bonus part of the simple prosthetic is that there was a wooden carved foot at the base of the object, this is what made it easier to wear a sock and shoe. The next appointment was on Tuesday, and again; there would be practice walking with the parallel bars.

The friends stayed up gaming, snacking, and talking until about 1 am, then they began to drift off one by one. By 2:30 am; everyone was sleeping. Now, it was Saturday. Breakfast and the first review for dragon training were over. Stoick, Valka, Gobber and all of us were relaxing in the Great Room; just chatting about whatever came to mind. After school graduation plans came up, but Hiccup didn't really talk on that matter. And no one could blame him either; they all knew why Hiccup didn't want to discuss his after high school plans.

"How are you kids doing in dragon training?" Stoick asked.

"We're almost all caught up; Hiccup's a fantastic teacher," Nadia complimented with a smile.

"Top of his class for training, riding, and even racing," Gobber chuckled.

"And only because I don't ride Toothless; I fly him," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Eret asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "No, because all you guys have to do is sit and do a little nudging to get your dragons to fly where you want them. I have to control a tail fin in sync with Toothless for us to fly," Hiccup explained.

"Speaking of…When are you going to work on the rig?" Astrid inquired. "I really wanna how you do it all," Hiccup checked his watch.

"I guess I can work on some before lunch," Hiccup shrugged. "Come on," he invited.

"Can we watch too, son?" Valka wondered.

"I wanna see the skills I taught ya in action!" Gobber jumped up. Hiccup laughed a bit and shook his head.

"Hey, you didn't teach me everything. But yes, you can all watch," Hiccup informed as he grabbed his crutches and headed out the back door towards the stables.

 **. . .**

 _ **{10:10 am}**_

 _ **(Hiccup's Forge)**_

Reaching behind the stables after Hiccup got Toothless out and following him; they reached another wooden structure with a tall chimney made of stone. Hiccup balanced himself as he pulled a key from around his neck and inserted into the door, turning it until there was a click. Seconds after, a small square panel pushed out and Hiccup pushed the wood to the side as it revealed a number pad. Hiccup put in a six-digit sequence, then replaced the wood as the panel returned to the wall. Hiccup smiled as he stepped back and the door moved upward as a garage door did.

"Wow, that's very convincing that it's just a tool shed," Fishlegs blinked.

"I secure all my best things," Hiccup informed. "Welcome to the forge," he invited as he flipped on the lights to reveal the workspace and even a spot for Toothless. "Find a spot and get comfortable, but be warned; it does get a bit warm in here once the forge is lit," he advised.

"We'll move outside if it gets too hot," Stoick smiled. Hiccup nodded as he moved to his desk and grabbed a piece of paper, then a pencil.

"So, what do you think Toothless? Should we shoot for the original or maybe modernize it a bit?" Hiccup asked his Night Fury, who warbled. Yeah, stupid question. I remember what you did the other tail I made for you," he rolled his eyes.

"The automatic one that he destroyed Snoggletog morning?" Gobber wondered.

"Yes, that one…" Hiccup mumbled. "But somebody prefers me doing most of the work I guess," he hinted to his dragon, who gave a throaty laugh of his own but snuggled against Hiccup's face. "Yeah, yeah; I love you too," he smiled. "Well, I guess I have to design this to use the left fin with the right foot…" Hiccup tapped the pencil against his chin, thinking for a moment before he put the tip to paper. "Got it," he began sketching something out.

"This is going to be fun," Valka clapped her hands. "I never watched the construction of the first rig,"

"No one did, Val. Hiccup hid that he had a Night Fury for an entire month," Stoick chuckled.

"He did?" Astrid asked.

"I wasn't sure how people would react to knowing I had a Night Fury. So I did keep him a secret for a long time. My parents only found out because they came home during the final test of the old rig. I told my friends and family…But otherwise; we've kept Toothless a secret from the world. Very few outsiders knew before the fight with Red Death," Hiccup explained while drawing. Toothless grabbed a remove off another table and brought it to Hiccup, who shook his head a bit, but pressed the power button at the top and soon music was playing from the around the forge.

"You should get the forge lit, laddie; you know it takes a while to heat up," Gobber suggested.

"Maybe the way you do it…" Hiccup said as he finished the drawing and pinned it up on a cork board before moving to the forge and laying a bed of charcoal down with paper them a stack of wood. "Light it up, bud," Toothless charged a blast and fired into the place Hiccup pointed. Second later; there was a burst of flames, and it was lit. "Good work," Hiccup rubbed his head a bit.

"You know what, I'm not even going to ask this time," Gobber remarked.

"Standard forge burns at 3,500 degrees, but Toothless's fire burns at 6,500. It's more than enough; I just give it a bit of time to cool before putting metal in there," Hiccup explained while gathering materials and taking measurements on Toothless's body, then marking them down in a notebook next to individually drawn pieces of the rig. The process was definitely something else, but everyone was drawn into watching it intently. However, Hiccup was much more focused, never straying from the work before him.

There was a brief break for lunch, but upon returning; Hiccup got right back into things. By 2:15 pm; Hiccup finished assembling everything, including a new saddle that he would sit on. "And done, finally," he sighed with a smile.

"It looks more complex than the other one," Snotlout blinked.

"Only because you don't know how to work it," Hiccup replied. "Come here, Toothless. Let's give it a shot," the Night Fury bounded over as Hiccup began positioning everything in place. After a few minutes, Hiccup let Toothless get used to having the rig on before Hiccup climbed on his back and sat down carefully. "How's it feel, bud?" the dragon warbled contently. Hiccup pulled a small lever on the left to open the tail; then he used his right foot on the pedal there to test that the fin was moving properly. "All looks good on the ground…But the test is up there. What do you say, Toothless?"

"Hiccup, don't you think you should give it a little time, son?" Valka tried.

"Just a quick run, Mom," Hiccup assured.

"And if you fall again?" Astrid asked.

"Toothless will catch me; he always does," Hiccup said.

"Well, can he leave your right leg intact?" Stoick remarked.

"Dad, come on…That was an accident, and it saved my life…So give him a break, would you?" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Fine…" Stoick huffed. Toothless walked outside with Hiccup on his back.

"Let's hit it!" Hiccup called. Toothless launched into the sky fast as everyone watched from below.

"Think it'll work?" Tuffnut asked.

"It's Hiccup…" Ruffnut replied.

"True," the rest said. Hiccup sat on Toothless's back, so far everything was fine, and they were leveled out on breeze where Toothless didn't need to flap his wings much to stay lifted.

"Okay, pal…Nice and slow," Hiccup patted his friends' neck. "Let's try a few of the basics," he advised. Toothless snorted a bit but obeyed as Hiccup and Toothless began working on a few things from three years ago when the first rig was tested. For ten minutes; things went smoothly. Toothless got excited it was all working and climbed higher, forgetting that Hiccup wasn't latched to him with the riding harness. Hiccup slipped off, falling to the ground.

"Oh, no!" Astrid brought her hands to her mouth in fear.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup called. The Night Fury dove, a mirror image from the battle with Red Death minus the inferno below. Toothless closed his wings more, getting ahead of Hiccup. The teenager grabbed hold of the saddle and pulled himself back on. Hiccup position his right foot, then pulled out of the dive fast as they circled back up and came around to land. "Good boy…" Hiccup panted a bit.

"Hiccup, are you alright?" Minden asked.

"Yeah, just gotta figure something out for the left side…It's too much movement in a tight spot for me to pull the lever that opens the tail. The right pedal only controls the angle, for turns and what not…" Hiccup said as he looked at his left leg where the prosthetic was. "Sorry, bud…I guess it's not perfected yet," Toothless warbled a bit, nudging him sadly because he could feel his rider growing upset. "I gotta figure out how to use this leg with the left side. But it'll take weeks, months even before a final prosthetic to be built," Hiccup stopped fast, his eyes widening.

"What is it, Hiccup?" Astrid questioned.

"Th-That's it…" Hiccup breathed out as pulled the prosthetic off and looked over it, then the left side of the rig. "Why didn't I think of it before…" he asked himself.

"Hiccup, for the love of Odin, what are you talking about?" Stoick inquired.

"I can build Toothless an entire rig that allows him to fly with my help," Hiccup looked at the others. "So why can't I build my own prosthetic leg?!" he smiled broadly now.

Everyone blinked. "Hiccup…That takes years of medical training and other things to build artificial limbs," Gobber stated.

"Not seeing your point," Hiccup remarked.

"How could you possibly make your own leg; you know nothing about the process…" Heather mentioned.

"I knew nothing of a Night Fury at fifteen. Nobody knew much about them because of how rare they are, but I managed to bond with him, and now, he's the best friend I've ever had," Hiccup began.

"Hey!" Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, best dragon friend," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "But still; I didn't know anything about bonding with a Night Fury; one hasn't been seen in almost one hundred and fifty years. I also knew nothing of dragon anatomy, flight, prosthetics…But I made it so Toothless can fly with help from me or on his own. So who is to say I can't make something that works for me? All I know is that I have to try," he remarked as Toothless brought over the crutches and Hiccup moved back into the forge. After twenty minutes, Hiccup hadn't had a single idea of what to do; he knew what he wanted, but not how to craft it into something he use daily to walk or fly Toothless.

"Hiccup, give yourself a small break…" Dagur suggested.

"You've got plenty of time to come up with something," Camicazi offered.

"You are a man of many talents son, but you have to accept your limits," Stoick reminded gently.

Hiccup sighed as he turned around and muttered something. "Maybe I wouldn't have limits if someone had listened to me about there being a huge dragon he couldn't just take on without a plan…" However, something caught Hiccup's eyes; the jack-knife Gobber was fiddling with. One tool with many uses. That's when it hit Hiccup hard, and he immediately faced his desk and started drawing something on the paper.

"Uh, weren't you just about to take a break?" Snotlout wondered.

"Yep, and then I thought of something, so ssh for a sec," Hiccup stated while still drawing. Ten minutes went by before he put the pencil down and sat back to take a breath. Hiccup started gathering some material, reheated the forge; then got to work. Of course, Hiccup didn't hang his design, so the others had no clue what he was doing. It appeared to be metal, gears, and a little wood.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:00 pm}**_

Hours of work went into this, but less than it took to do Toothless's rig. Hiccup was so ridiculously focused on his project, and to be honest; everyone was anxiously awaiting to see the product Hiccup came up with. Hiccup was sweating a lot, and at some point had taken his shirt off in an attempt to stay cool. Astrid's eyes were glued to Hiccup's figure; he was bigger than he looked with clothes on. Nicely sculpted upper body, a six-pack of abs, and vividly defined muscles coated with a layer of sweat. Astrid didn't know what was wrong with her, but Hiccup was sexy as shit in her eyes like this.

Hiccup locked a few more things in place and stepped back. "Finally…I think I got it…"

"Yeah, can we see?" Astrid inquired.

"In a sec," Hiccup informed. "Need to cool off," he got on Toothless's back who lead Hiccup out of the forge; then to the front of the stables. The others followed curiously as Hiccup got off Toothless and balanced himself near the edge of the pool. Hiccup removed his shoe and socks but kept on the simple prosthetic from the office. After that, Hiccup removed his phone, wallet, and keys; handing them to Astrid with a smile. "Hold those a for me?"

Astrid nodded, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks at seeing Hiccup so up close with no shirt on. Seconds later, Hiccup held on to Toothless while moving towards the pool again. A moment later, Hiccup jumped in.

"Hiccup!? Stoick…What if he can't swim…" Valka panicked.

"Val, Hiccup's been swimming since he was about two and a half-years-old. I think, leg or not; he'll be fine. And Toothless is right there. Relax a little," Stoick sighed a bit. Valka nodded, still worried a bit. Hiccup resurfaced and shook his hair a bit. Astrid loved that it stayed wild no matter what; the one time it was tamed was the night of Stoick's Mayorship party and Valka's 47th birthday. And even then; it held a bit of a crazed factor.

"What's the temp?" Gobber questioned.

"I don't know…Seventy-five at least," Hiccup shrugged before dunking under again. Hiccup got to the edge and pulled himself up and out of the water, entirely drenched. One of the staff members hurried over with a towel for him. "Thanks," Hiccup smiled. "The pool is the best after working in the forge," he added while drying off his hair and body, though, the shorts and boxers would be wet for a bit longer.

"So, we get to see that new leg now?" Tuffnut asked.

"Oh, I suppose. Not sure if it's gonna work, but I gave it my best with the abilities I possess in forging and inventing," Hiccup reminded while Toothless helped Hiccup back towards the forge, sitting on his desk under a red cloth was what Hiccup had been working on for hours. Hiccup took a deep breath as he pulled the sheet off. "I give you the swiss-army knife of prosthetics," he introduced. Before them was a very interesting looking prosthetic built from wood and metal. The wooden bit appeared to be flat on the top and thinner going down, then it was metal with a piece with a rounded end.

"And uh, why do ya call it that, son?" Stoick questioned.

"Because the inspiration came from Gobber's multi-tool. I couldn't figure out how to make a prosthetic like the simple one, but use it to ride Toothless. I would have to redo the whole rig to make another pedal on the left as I only have the small lever now that opens and closes the tail fin. So, I made this bit you see for walking…And then this," Hiccup rotate the wooden part as the first metal piece folded back, and another one popped out with a slightly open circle piece. "for riding Toothless,"

"I don't see how it works…" Ruffnut said.

"It has a few gears in it and slots for the ends to rotate while being swapped. The leg is able to change ends when turned, with one end designed for when Hiccup is flying with Toothless and the other used for when Hiccup is walking, able to switch between the two settings with ease," Astrid explained as she remembered the gears Hiccup was working with.

"That's right, Ast," Hiccup nodded.

"The piece out now allows you to hook it to that lever to open and close the tail with the left foot and use your right to control the angles for turning and stuff, right?" Astrid wondered, looking in admiration of Hiccup's work.

"There's even a third piece for walking on ice," Hiccup rotated the leg once more to show the piece that resembled the first only with the serrated bottom to keep him from slipping.

"Hiccup, this is genius!" Heather squealed excitedly.

"Well, looks aren't everything…There's still the test…" Hiccup said nervously as he sat down in the chair and began to get the prosthetic on for use. It appears Hiccup had it being held in place by some clips to a harness around the nub with a soft piece of fabric between the skin and wood. Hiccup turned the gear to bring out the piece for walking and took a breath. "Astrid, will you…give me a hand?" he asked.

"Of course," Astrid nodded as she offered hers to Hiccup; he took it, and Astrid carefully helped Hiccup up until he was balanced. "How's it feel?" she inquired.

"Still a bit painful, but bearable," Hiccup admitted. "Okay…You can let go now; just don't go too far…" he looked at her.

"I'll never be more than an arm's distance away from you; I promise," Astrid vowed, which brought a smile to Hiccup's lips. "Nice and slow now…" she reminded. Hiccup nodded as he tried to step with the left, then bring forward his right. Hiccup's leg gave out as it did the day before in the office. Astrid caught his arms and held him so he wouldn't fall. "Maybe take a few with me here?"

"Okay," Hiccup agreed. Hiccup tried again; his leg still buckled with each step, but he was getting better every one he took. Astrid slowly began to move back more, but not breaking contact in case Hiccup fell again. However, with a bit of work in ten minutes; Hiccup was managing to walk on his own. It was slow, and with a limp, but he could do it.

"Now see? A little practice and help go a long way," Astrid giggled some, then hugged him. "I'm so proud of you, Hiccup," she blushed a bit.

"Don't think I could have gotten this far without you. Thank you, Astrid," Hiccup smiled as he gave her a hug back.

"And now we take a break, so you don't over-do it, Hiccup," Valka insisted.

"Fine, fine…" Hiccup agreed. "We'll test this with your rig tomorrow, bud, okay?" he looked at Toothless, who warbled his response happily. Hiccup held onto Astrid after he put out the forge and locked everything up once it was cleaned. By this time; it was about 4:45 pm. Once inside the house, Hiccup flopped on the couch, entirely exhausted from his day. However, he could look up and smile knowing that he was halfway done with all of this. All little more practice walking and a test flight on Toothless, and it would be like things never changed.


	56. All You Need To Know

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

All You Need To Know

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, April 30, 2022-7 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I couldn't express how proud of Hiccup I am. The teenager who is my age has had such a positive outlook on everything since losing part of his left leg. Sure, there were some bumps along the way, but that's life for anyone. Hiccup has regained his memories, healed well, redesigned Toothless's flying rig, and even built himself a working prosthetic leg. The only thing I'm not sure about is if Hiccup is doing better with accepting he can't join the military. I knew it bothered Hiccup, but he was a hero in my eyes and many others too. I just don't think Hiccup sees that yet, but he would. I was working on something to make sure he would never forget; I didn't know how long it'd take, but there were a lot of channels to get through. Hiccup's prosthetic was like nothing I'd ever seen before, but the most important thing is that Hiccup seems to be comfortable wearing it, and he can walk. There's a slight limp, and he goes slow, but Hiccup can walk. The next test was seeing if the piece he created for Toothless's rig would work, but that was for another day.

Dinner was over, and everyone was relaxing in the Great Room as always. Stoick and Gobber were watching the Soccer game; Hairy Hooligans from Berk against the Merciless Meatheads of Meathead Island in Stoick's office. So far, the Hooligans were winning thirteen to eleven, and there wasn't much left of the game to go. Valka was reading a book on the couch while the rest of us teenagers were chatting quietly among one another.

"I told you that Bork was gonna screw it up for us; I don't understand why they keep putting him towards the end," Stoick muttered. "Man hasn't scored a goal in the last seven years…" Gobber rolled his eyes. "He needs to retire, Gobber," Stoick remarked.

"He's the oldest member of the team!" Gobber defended.

"My point exactly," Stoick crossed his arms over his chest.

"I take it the Hooligans lost?" Snotlout asked.

"Yep," Stoick replied.

"My old man outta be happy about that…" Adelaide sighed a bit.

"This is why I don't do sports," Hiccup chuckled.

"You'd be good at it, son. You played little league ball exceptionally well," Valka reminded.

"Which I never wanted to. You and Dad needed a place to stick me over the Summer when Uncle Gobber had military stuff going on, so baseball camp it was," Hiccup grumbled.

"I never said you liked it, Hiccup; I said you were good at it," Valka giggled a bit as she put the bookmark in its place; then closed the book on her lap.

"So, what now?" Heather asked.

"Well, if all ideas are welcome…I'd like to hear my son play his music again," Stoick offered.

"For the Odin only knows how many times I've said it; very few songs you hear are my creation. The rest are all just…covers from other accomplished artists," Hiccup groaned.

"All I'm saying is that you're good at playing instruments and singing, son," Stoick informed while sitting next to his wife.

"Yeah, yeah…" Hiccup sighed.

"Can I…Ask about something in particular while we're on this topic?" I wondered softly, now looking at Hiccup.

"Sure, shoot," Hiccup invited.

"Okay, so I know it's not the best thing to bring up…But the day I jumped off the roof of the school, and you yelled at me…You said something very….I don't know, lyrical, I guess. And I'm curious if it's to a song or not," I asked. The room was a bit quiet, shocked I brought up such an incident.

Hiccup stared at me, and I hoped that I hadn't made him mad. Finally, he relaxed a bit. "The depends on what I said was lyrical in your opinion," Hiccup replied.

"At the end; the whole every time that you wake up breathing, every night when you close your eyes, every day that your heart keeps beating, there's purpose for your life. So don't give up, don't lay down, just hold on, don't quit now thing," I recited to him.

Hiccup looked at me a moment longer, then closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, they were lyrics to a song I wrote before Olivia passed away," he confessed. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. I-I was just curious; they were…Inspirational that day, and got me to open my eyes…" I explained.

"Olivia suffered moments of severe depression after learning she had cancer, and there were a lot of times she wanted just to give up and die since she knew she would eventually, but she was tired of waiting for it to happen. I know a lot of people feel that way sometimes, that there's no point in continuing because of life not going the way you want or need it too. I started working on a song called Here For A Reason, and I sang it at the hospital for her and a bunch of other patients. Most of them were cancer patients, but some were people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, kids who get bullied…Stuff like that," Hiccup explained.

"It was pretty moving, Hiccup," Minden smiled.

"Yeah, I got a few songs like that; ones telling people not to give up and fight as hard and as long as they can," Hiccup shrugged as I nodded, understanding. I was hoping he would play it, but I guess not. "You want to hear one of them, don't you?" he asked, taking me by surprise.

"I mean…Yeah, kind of," I nodded.

"Fine…" Hiccup sighed as he forced himself to get up now. "I'll show you the newest one; it was uh, actually something I wrote for you," I blinked.

"M-Me?" I inquired, a bit surprised.

Hiccup gave a nod. "In case you ever felt like that again. You seemed to respond well to the Here For A Reason lyrics, even though I didn't sing them to you that day. I thought maybe if you had a song to hold on to from your best friend; you'd never forget that you're not alone, and a lot of people care about you," I was shocked; I couldn't believe Hiccup wrote a song for me. Hiccup moved to the piano and sat down while adjusting himself on the seat. "Frigga, play Astrid's Song,"

" _ **Playing Astrid's Song-Tell Your Heart To Beat Again by Hiccup Haddock."**_

I sat down near the piano as Hiccup put his fingers on the keys, entirely focused on listening to the song Hiccup was about to sing. The music began slowly; then Hiccup came in with the notes from the piano.

" _You're shattered like you've never been before. The life you knew, in a thousand pieces on the floor. And words fall short in times like these when this world drives you to your knees. You think you're never gonna get back to the you the used to be…"_ Hiccup started as I was hanging on to every word; how close it hit to home about the day I lost my parents. Everything started going wrong after that, but the day they died; it was like I shattered.

" _Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in. Let the shadows fall away. Step into the light of grace. Yesterday's closing door; you don't live there anymore. Say goodbye to where you've been…And tell your heart to beat again,"_ Hiccup continued gently. The song tugged at my heartstrings, and I felt the pressure building behind my eyes; the one that meant I would likely start crying soon.

Valka and Stoick were smiling, her head on her husband's shoulder as both enjoyed the tune. My eyes hadn't looked anywhere else; only on Hiccup and still sitting with the fact he wrote this for me.

" _Beginnings; just let that word wash over you. It's alright now; loves healing hands have pulled you through. So get back up, and take step one. Leave the darkness, feel the sun. Cause your story is far from over, and your journey has just begun,"_ Hiccup's eyes left the keyboard; looking at me slightly.

" _Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in. Let the shadows fall away. Step into the light of grace. Yesterday's closing door; you don't live there anymore. Say goodbye to where you've been, and tell your heart to beat again,"_ Hiccup sang as the music picked up a bit more.

" _Let every heartbreak, and every scar; be a picture that reminds you who has carried you this far. Cause love sees farther than you ever could. In this moment Heaven's working everything for your good…"_ Hiccup trailed off lightly. I felt tears forming but refusing to fall. The music softened slightly now.

" _Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in. Let the shadows fall away. Step into the light of grace,"_ there was a brief pause, and the music picked up once more as did the passion in Hiccup's voice. _"Yesterday's closing door; you don't live there anymore. Say goodbye to where you've been, and tell your heart to beat again!"_ Hiccup held the note. _"Your heart to beat again!"_ he went on. _"Beat again,"_ it went back to being just the piano. _"Oh, so tell your heart to beat again,"_ the last note played as he moved his hands off the keys.

"Beautiful, son," Valka complimented.

"I don't even have the words for how much I love that song, Hiccup…" I admitted.

"I'll give you a copy," Hiccup offered. "I'm glad you like it, and never forget it's message," he smiled.

"I won't forget," I said as I hugged him from behind. "Thank you," I felt Hiccup's hands come up to hug me somewhat back.

"You're welcome," Hiccup replied. "Wanna relive something ridiculously old?" he asked without warning as I blinked unsure of what he meant.

"How old are we talking?" I wondered.

"This old," Hiccup chuckled as he put his hands on the keys of the piano again. "Let's see if you remember," he challenged as I got a bit nervous. Hiccup began playing a soft melody as I watched him closely. Oddly enough; it felt really familiar.

" _If I could do it all over, maybe I'd do it different. Maybe I wouldn't be here, in this position…"_ Hiccup started as it hit me like a pile of bricks. This was a song I made before meeting Eret in ninth grade; Hiccup and I had grown distant from one another, and it hurt me because I never got to tell him I liked him. Eret showed an interest in me, but it still bothered me to know that I'd lost Hiccup. I know now that it's my fault for letting popularity take over. What I didn't understand was how Hiccup knew this song? I…had been by myself when I sang this song, or at least I thought I was. My eyes widened a little as he smiled at me and moved over on the bench he was sitting on, offering me a place beside him.

" _I found you then I lost you. Looking back is torture. And it hurts to know I let you go. You live right around the corner,"_ I sang.

" _And I could have had it all. Could have had it all…"_ Hiccup and I continued softly together. _"True love; I knew I had it. True love was so hard to find. True love, if I could get back; I'd never let it go this time,"_

" _True love…"_ Hiccup went on.

" _Is an inspiration,"_ I sang next.

" _True love…"_ Hiccup repeated.

" _It was mine all mine,"_ I stared at him.

" _True love…"_ Hiccup sang again.

" _Yeah…"_ I held a moment.

" _I'd never let it go,"_ Hiccup continued.

" _I'd never let it go,"_ I recited after him.

" _I'd never let it go this time…"_ our eyes locked as the final small notes were played. Hiccup smiled as he pressed something on his phone without looking; he even smiled a bit as I blushed. Gods, I couldn't believe this was happening right now; my heart was racing. The music seemed to pick up, a faster version of what Hiccup was just playing, only on guitar now.

I heard the next queue and Hiccup nodded at me to go ahead. _"Feeling it all around me. Wondering how I blew it. And I wanna know the secret of how they do it. There's no such thing as perfection; I'm still learning the lesson. To forgive is key to forgetting me. Am I staring at my reflection?"_ I smiled while singing. _"And I could have had it all. Could have had it all!"_

" _True love; I knew I had it! True love was so hard to find. True love, if I could get it back; I'd never let it go this time. True love is an inspiration. True love; it was mine all mine. True love, if I could get it back; I'd never let it go…I'd never let it go this time!"_ Hiccup and I sang together, both smiling now. Things calmed a moment, and our eyes never left one another.

" _If I knew then what I do now; I'd be with you tonight. If I knew then what I do now; we'd be alright…And I could have had it all…"_ Hiccup sang soft and slow with a beautiful voice that I'd never heard before. My heart was pounding; I could hear it in my ears. _"True love. True love. True love, yeah, yeah…"_

" _And never let it go this time!"_ we sang out together loudly as the music lifted again. _"True love is an inspiration. True love; it mine all mine. True love, if I could get it back…If only I could get it back! True love; I'd never let it go! True love; it was mine all mine! True love; I could have had it, could have had it, could have had it all. True love, is an inspiration. True love; it was mine all mine. True love, if I could get it back; I'd never let it go this time. I'd never let it go…This time. True love…"_ we finished the duet, though; it originally wasn't one.

Hiccup and I were still looking at one another, everything else around seemed to have faded out. We leaned in a bit; I swear we were going to kiss. This was happening, right here and now. However, someone cleared their throat, and I was brought back to reality. Hiccup and I quickly opened the space between us and looked away from one another.

"I, uh, heard you singing it and I guess it kind of stuck with me. I recorded you, and sort of vamped it up a bit for a duet version. I couldn't get it out of my head and thought maybe we could sing it at the talent show, but you forgot about me, and we stopped talking as friends until this year that is…So yeah…" Hiccup admitted.

"Right! Right, I, uh, I'm sorry about all that…again. I was stupid…It sounds great…The way you did it," I cleared my throat a bit, trying not to blush.

"Thanks…A-And it's cool; we're past all that now. I saw the song come up as next to play and just figured I'd like to see if you remembered, and finally see how it sounded together…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head some. There was a bit of silence between us now. Hiccup closed the piano now and got up. "Well! I think that's enough music for one night…" he said quickly.

"Awe really? Can't we do one more?" Heather pleaded.

"I know I'd like to see you two almost kiss again!" Camicazi giggled with Ruffnut, Nadia, and Ragna. My face lit up bright red. Fuck! I was hoping they hadn't caught that!

"You don't know what you're talking about," Hiccup stated calmly.

"It's all over your face, dude," Tuffnut pointed.

"And hers. You two were gonna kiss if Stoick hadn't cleared his throat," Snotlout chuckled, snickering with the guys.

"Looked that way from this angle, laddie," Gobber grinned.

"Astrid and I were not…I repeat, NOT-" Hiccup got to his feet fast.

"Then how do you explain the leaning in?" Thuggory questioned.

"And your defensiveness?" Eret added. Hiccup stalled on an answer; then his eyes narrowed a bit to reply. Why was Hiccup getting angry? We were about to kiss or was Hiccup thinking about Olivia when we sang together. The song was about finding true love and losing it. Hiccup loved Olivia; they raised Runa together and even got married before Olivia died.

"It's not…We weren't going to…It was just a-" Hiccup started as the others grinned a little. "You know what…I'm not even going to grace this with an explanation."

I didn't understand why Hiccup was being this way. So what if we almost kissed? I wouldn't have minded. Of course, I like Hiccup, but maybe he didn't feel the same. "Hiccup…" I asked, putting my hand on his arm as he looked at me quickly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hiccup retorted. Before anyone could say anything else; Hiccup's phone started vibrating on the top of the piano. Grabbing the device and casting a quick glance at the screen; his face changed a bit. Hiccup selected the icon to accept the incoming call. "Talk to me," he said. "I'll meet you there in ten," then he ended the call, slipping the phone into his pocket now. Hiccup went to the window and whistled for Toothless; the Night Fury bounded over wearing his rig a moment later.

"Where are you going?" Valka stood.

"You need not insert yourself in my personal affairs, Mother. I'll be back in an hour," Hiccup said as he secured himself on Toothless and switched the leg pieces, locking it in place. "I guess we'll test this now, won't we bud?" he mentioned with a small smile. I couldn't take this. I got up and moved next to Hiccup now.

"What is going on, Hiccup? Please tell me?" I pleaded with him.

Hiccup stopped a moment, then sighed with his eyes closed. "The less you know, the better. And that's all you need to know at this time," Hiccup informed before holding the bars of Toothless's saddle before the Night Fury darted into the dark sky above, leaving me absolutely stunned at what he said, but also very confused.


	57. Inspiration

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Inspiration

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Monday, May 2, 2022- 12 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

No matter what Astrid tried or said; Hiccup would not reveal to her what Saturday night's phone call was about. Hiccup got a call, then left moments later. Hiccup returned an hour after leaving and refused to say anything about what happened or where he went. The worst part is that no one could make him either; Hiccup was eighteen-years-old, so he didn't have to tell anyone about the things he did or the people he spoke with. Astrid didn't understand why Hiccup would say to her; _the less you know, the better. And that is all you need to know at this time_. After Hiccup got back to Haddock Manor; he claimed he was tired and going to get some sleep. The friends went home after Hiccup said he'd see them Monday, and that was it for the night.

Sunday was uneventful, but Hiccup allowed the friends to return to give them their last catch-up dragon training lesson. Now, everyone was where they needed to be and the remainder of the time until Finals would be all review. Finals Week started on May 16th, 2022, that wasn't too far away now; about two weeks. Once Finals were over, grades would be out the following week; then preparation for graduation. Archian Preparatory Spirit Week was from May 30th to Thursday, June 2nd. Friday, June 3rd was the fabled Senior Prom; tickets went on sale Friday, May 27th. And finally, graduation would be held on Saturday, June 18th, 2022. There was no assigned time or place for the graduation yet; it would get announced after Finals.

Currently; Hiccup and the friends were sitting at lunch together, and everyone was talking. Astrid's eyes continued to fall on Hiccup during the conversations everyone had. Hiccup hadn't been talking; he was eating in silence almost. Hiccup responded if a question got directed at him, but otherwise; he was quiet and appeared to be rooted in thought. Astrid wondered if Hiccup was in any pain too; only because Hiccup wasn't using his crutches anymore. Hiccup was getting around on his homemade prosthetic that had an attached wooden foot where Hiccup could use a standard sock and shoe with it. Honestly, aside from the small limp; Hiccup walked as if nothing ha happened, which was a good thing.

Hiccup was normally engaged in all conversations with his friends, and the new additions. Hiccup still wasn't calling them full-fledged friends yet; there was more proving to be done first. A few good deeds did not erase how Eret, Ragna, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Nadia behaved before Hiccup threatened to ruin their lives. All that aside; Hiccup had his mind on bigger things, such as the meeting he had on Saturday night after getting the phone call.

 _ **/Flashback; April 30, 2022/**_

" _The less you know, the better. And that is all you need to know right now,"_ _Hiccup stated to Astrid before having Toothless dart into the sky when Hiccup used his new and improved prosthetic leg to open the left side of the tail by pushing forward a silver lever, which cleverly fit the piece on Hiccup's artificial leg. Hiccup was gone into the darkness seconds later. After eight minutes of flying in silence; Hiccup directed Toothless down to the ground upon reaching their destination. Hiccup dismounted Toothless and switched the piece on his leg to allow him to walk. Hiccup attached the wooden foot piece, then put on a sock and black sneakers. The only place secure for a meeting was behind Archian Preparatory Stables because they faced the woods, and Hiccup had access to the cameras installed._

 _Half a mile into the darkened forest, Hiccup stood beside his dragon wearing all black with a hood over his head. "Hiccup?" came a voice. Hiccup opened his eyes and peered around._

" _Have you both come?" Hiccup asked._

" _We have," replied the voice as they came into sight and Hiccup lifted his head to reveal part of his face._

" _Good to see you again, boss," spoke a more substantial male with an accent who was bald with a goatee and mustache._

" _You appear to be in good health. We're glad you could sneak away," stated the small of the two males who had a full head of hair, shaved but still kept long._

" _Likewise, Ryker and Viggo. Getting away isn't hard on the fastest dragon around," Hiccup shook their hands. "What have you got for me, Viggo?"_

" _We've discovered what the target is after, as stated in the phone call," the larger male, Ryker, informed._

" _And we may have found incriminating evidence to tie Drago to the deaths of former Mayor, Colden Hofferson, and his wife. It seems everything links together," Viggo explained._

" _Go on," Hiccup urged._

" _He's trying to take over Archia Isle with dragons, and he needs the means of which to locate as many as he can," Viggo continued._

" _And this means would be?" Hiccup asked._

" _An ancient artifact from the Viking Era; the Dragon Eye," Ryker said._

" _Its an object, that when used properly, can provide information about all types of dragons. Each of the classes and every species are known to man," Viggo enlightened._

" _Also, it can reveal a food source and the locations of these dragons. It's an old-fashioned, first-written, dragon manual," Ryker interjected._

" _Than it is safe to say if Drago possessed such an object; he could find an endless supply of dragons for this takeover," Hiccup inquired as the two nodded. "Then I guess we keep Drago from finding the Dragon Eye by finding it ourselves," Hiccup remarked as they nodded together. "Understood," Hiccup nodded._

" _And there's more too…" Viggo said._

" _I'm listening," Hiccup invited._

 _ **/End Flashback/**_

It's been two days since then, and Hiccup had no idea where to start. Sure, there was asking his father if there was a safe in the mayor's office, or just going there himself. Hiccup wasn't sure how to handle it, and he hadn't heard anything either. However, Astrid's voice did pull him from his thoughts on the matter.

"Hiccup? Hello?" Astrid shoved him a bit.

"Hm?" Hiccup looked at her.

"I asked if you were still teaching me Martial Arts tonight?" Astrid repeated.

"Yeah, right after DT review," Hiccup replied.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell us what has you so distracted today?" Heather accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hiccup said.

"You've been acting weird ever since that call on Saturday night," Astrid interjected. "Does it have to do with _him_?" she hinted. Hiccup didn't say anything at first, then he sighed. Hiccup could reveal a little, couldn't he? Or maybe he should wait until he spoke with Spitelout and Hoark. "Hiccup? Please, tell me?"

"Yes, it does. But that's all I can tell you right now, okay? Seriously, I meant what I said Saturday night…The less you know, the better," Hiccup admitted. Astrid smiled a bit now.

"Thank you for being honest about it," Astrid responded.

Hiccup smiled a bit; he loved how cheerful she was as of late. And yet; he was still confused about a lot of things about them. Hiccup knew they were best friends, but that kiss from Astrid's birthday again ran through his mind. Also, now there was this situation with Saturday night, and they almost kissed. Yes, Hiccup wouldn't admit it to his friends and family, but after performing the song True Love with Astrid; he was going in to kiss her. The spark had turned into a small flame; Hiccup knew he liked Astrid and had since they were younger. However, Astrid got popular and met the others and Eret. And for Hiccup; he met Olivia and let his feelings for Astrid get buried thinking he'd never have a chance. It seemed that the tables had turned now, and Hiccup needed to figure out what to do because he knew his emotions regarding Astrid wouldn't be going anywhere this time. Also, Hiccup required to know whether Astrid liked him or this whole thing was pointless.

Hiccup wouldn't worry about it right now; there were bigger matters to take care of. One being that Hiccup had to teach Astrid self-defense, and deal with this Dragon Eye situation. Hiccup was contemplating on taking it to Spitelout and Hoark; he just needed to find a way to relay the information without implicating himself, Viggo, or Ryker.

"Now, stop zoning off and join us, would ya?" Snotlout laughed.

"Can't help it; I get distracted easily when I'm thinking about something a lot," Hiccup reminded, but he did push things back to focus on school and not letting anyone else question why he was thinking so much.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Friday, May 6, 2022-4:00 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Martial Arts training was not easy for Astrid. For Hiccup; it was still a breeze even though he only had one real leg that he was getting used to using all the time now. The sessions had been happening every day after school since there was no need to do extra Dragon Training anymore. The 2 pm to 3 pm classes were enough for reviewing material purposes and practicing anything the students weren't sure about. Friday nights were now back to just showing up at Haddock Manor after school to hang out, except from 3:30 pm to 5 pm; Astrid's Martial Arts training that lasted an hour and thirty minutes class.

"Again!" Hiccup told Astrid. The friends watched from around the weight room as Hiccup was trying to teach Astrid how to break free from held by an attacker. Astrid failed another attempt, which had been tried a lot of times in this one session alone. Hiccup was standing fine as Astrid had her hands on her knees, bent over, and panting.

"I can't do it, Hiccup…" Astrid shook her head. Hiccup was wearing basketball shorts and a training tee-shirt. Astrid had on a sports bra and jogging shorts.

"Yes, you can. You're holding back and psyching yourself out with the fear of failing, so you continue to fail," Hiccup informed.

"I can't do it, Hiccup…Face it; I'm a useless fighter when it comes to defending myself…" Astrid muttered. That made something in Hiccup's mind click.

 _So she can't do this when it comes to her, but what about someone else?_ Hiccup thought as he sighed closing his eyes. "Fine, we'll take a short break for now…Just stop being afraid, Astrid. One day; it could be the difference between you or someone you care about living or dying…" Hiccup went to leave the room, limping a bit and cringing. "Dagur, give me a hand?" he asked.

"Sure thing, little brother," Dagur replied. Once those two had left; Astrid plopped down on one of the benches and sighed heavily. Outside the room, Hiccup moved into his bedroom with Dagur; then shut the door.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do…" Hiccup said as Dagur blinked.

 **. . .**

Ten minutes had passed before Hiccup returned to the room. "Let's go; time to get back to work…" Hiccup instructed.

"What's the point?...I can't do it, Hiccup…" Astrid looked at him.

"Yes, you can; you just need something that turns your fear into the drive to fight," Hiccup stated as he offered his hand to help her. Astrid got to her feet, and they got into position again with him behind her back. Hiccup locked his arm around her front and holding her arms behind her and against his figure. "You've been grabbed by behind, and there's no one else to help you get away. What are you going to do?"

"Break free," Astrid asked.

"Show me," Hiccup stated. Astrid tried to wriggle to get her arms loose, but to no avail again. Astrid lowered her head as Hiccup glanced to the doorway as he saw Dagur there and ready. Hiccup gave the nod and looked to the others to stay quiet. Confused; the friends did so. Silently, Dagur snuck in and took Hiccup's place behind Astrid.

"Forget it, Hiccup…Holding me tighter is going to make me be able to make a move…" Astrid muttered.

"It's not Hiccup…" Dagur said in a deeper voice. "He's a little down…Right now, and if you don't give me what I want; I'll kill the boy," Astrid's eyes snapped open as she slightly glanced back seeing a masked figure. Astrid's eyes fell on Hiccup; his prosthetic was detached from the leg and too far for Hiccup to get because this male was holding a grudge on him. "I told you we'd find you…Hiding out at your bodyguard's house isn't going to save you now…So be a good little girl and give us what we want…"

Astrid seemed to be frozen in fear, shaking. "W-What do you want…J-Just don't hurt Hiccup or my friends…"

"The boss wants all witnesses dealt with; you decide who dies first with all your procrastination…Look at you, trying to bargain for their lives when you can't even save your own," Dagur stated. Shaking taking over, Astrid slammed her foot down on the man's, causing him to howl in pain. Astrid whipped her head back and was released. Astrid rammed her elbow into the guy in the chest before turning to knock his arms away. Astrid turned fast and crouched to sweep the guy's foot out from under him. Seconds later; the male hit the ground as Astrid kicked the gun away and put her foot on his chest angrily.

It was now that Astrid saw Dagur there as her eyes widened. "D-Dagur?" there was clapping from Hiccup, who was back up now and smiling.

"Not what I was hoping for, but I'm impressed regardless," Hiccup said.

"Y-You set all that up?" Astrid asked. "Making Dagur stand in as someone who worked for that psycho?!"

"Gave you no choice but to fight, yes," Hiccup nodded.

"I thought he was going to kill our friends…Or kill you!" Astrid glared.

"Oh, for the love of- Astrid; do you not see it?! You conquered your fears of being a victim, a target. You fought back to protect yourself, and with what you just did…Save the life of your friends too. And it wasn't even something I taught you; you fought out on instinct and took down someone who is older, stronger, and bigger than you by yourself…Someone who was armed with a weapon," Hiccup reminded.

"I told you that we had to find a way to turn your fear into strength, and that's what I did. I recreated the incident where you were held, and someone else's life was on the line. You were able to fight back and disarm an attacker without anyone getting hurt. I found what makes you fight, and it's the same thing any of us use. No one fights for themselves; it's always for someone else. I've fought for Olivia, Runa, my family, friends…And you. You draw power from the fear of losing the people you care about…So use that to protect yourself, and the people around you…" Hiccup informed. "I told you; being able to fight in any situation could be the difference between life and death for you or people you care for,"

Astrid realized he was right; what she did to Dagur in her fear was just anger of being helpless to protect Hiccup. Astrid didn't care about protecting herself; these people didn't want her dead. However, her friends were in danger because these enemies were using them against her, as so proven last week after dragon training ended. Astrid didn't use a move Hiccup had taught her; she just did whatever felt right from how she was locked down to get free.

"Wait, was this a real gun?" Astrid blinked holding the weapon Dagur had.

"With blanks in it, yes," Hiccup replied to her as he took it from her.

"Why on Midgard do you have a gun?" Thuggory asked quickly.

"Gobber keeps it here for safety reasons if we ever need to thwart an attack from break-ins. Mom, Dad, and I were taught by Gobber how to shoot if necessary. Gobber said I could use it for training purposes," Hiccup shrugged. "So," Hiccup looked at Astrid again. "We still got about twenty minutes of training to go; you feeling more confident now?"

"Yes…But don't you trick me again…" Astrid jabbed a finger in his chest.

"Don't make me have to. Use your fear to fight," Hiccup stated.

"Still, how do I remember all the moves?" Astrid wondered.

"Think of it as dancing by yourself; only you use the moves I taught you. When I trained in MMA; I used music to keep in time with the moves or something that gets you fired up," Hiccup explained.

"Why not show her the song I played for you when you learned, laddie?" Gobber suggested.

"Which one?" Hiccup looked at him.

"You know the one," Gobber chuckled as Stoick and Valka stood beside Gobber now.

"Oh! That one? I suppose I could," Hiccup mentioned as he moved over to the docking stated on a shelf; then plugged his phone in, so he could search for the song. However, Hiccup tapped another song by accident, and it started playing while he was scrolling through his playlist.

"Hey, hang on…What's this song, Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"The one playing?" Hiccup glanced at her as she nodded. "Archian Soldier. I started working on it at the start of this school year, a song for soldiers about what they do for our home. I went in a changed a few things after fighting Red Death because it just seemed more fitting if I put a personal spin on it even though I'm not a soldier, and now won't be able to become one either. I just finished recording yesterday," he informed.

"Can we hear it?" Stoick inquired. Hiccup arched a brow at his parents.

"You two, who hated the idea of me joining the military, want to hear one of the songs I created regarding the matter?" Hiccup stared. The two nodded as Hiccup mumbled. "You know; I can't shake the nagging feeling that you're suddenly cool with me enjoying the military since you know I can't anymore…" he added, then sighed. "Fine…" he restarted the song, which hadn't begun yet; it was just a musical opening.

" _I'm just trying to be a father; raise a daughter and a son. Be a lover to their mother, and everything to everyone. Up and at 'em bright and early, I'm all business in my suit. Yeah, I'm dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots,"_ Hiccup started, then took a breath. _"I don't do it for the money; there's bills that I can't pay. I don't do it for the glory; I just do it anyway. Providing for our future is my responsibility. Yeah, I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be,"_

Gobber was leaning against the door frame, his arms over his chest looking at Stoick and Valka. "And you said he didn't understand what it meant to be military…" the man informed.

" _I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend has been too strong. I work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long._ _You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door. Hey, I'm solid. I'm steady. I'm true down to the core,"_ Hiccup sang.

Astrid could only sit and listen. Hiccup had a lot of passion for the things that he did, but singing is where she heard the most. Hiccup always put himself into songs, and Astrid felt like it's how he expressed his emotions without having to talk to anyone about how he was feeling.

" _And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price. I've counted up the cost; I know the sacrifice,"_ Astrid couldn't help but notice that Hiccup's eyes fell to his left leg now. _"Oh, and I don't want to die for you, but if dying's asked of me…I'll bear that cross with honor, 'cause freedom don't come free!"_

" _I'm an Archian Soldier, an Archian! Beside my brothers and my sisters; I will proudly take a stand. When Liberty's in jeopardy; I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the frontlines, so sleep in peace tonight! Archian Soldier…I'm an Archian Soldier!"_ Hiccup paused; his eyes closed. Astrid knew it was hurting him because Hiccup couldn't join anymore. _"Yeah! An Archian Soldier. I'm an Archian. Beside my brothers and my sisters; I will proudly take a stand. When Liberty's in jeopardy; I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the frontlines; sleep in peace tonight! Archian Soldier…I'm an Archian. An Archian. An Archian Soldier…"_

The music tapered off slowly, and Hiccup pulled his phone off the dock quietly. "We'll pick training up tomorrow. You did well today, Astrid. Always remember that even if you aren't a known fighter; everyone will fight for a reason. You held back out of fear of failing, and when backed into a corner; you fought to protect people around you. That's your reason to fight, your inspiration, so don't lose it," after that, Hiccup exited the weight room.

"Not being able to join; it hurts him a lot, doesn't it?" Camicazi frowned.

"It's all Hiccup ever wanted to do; join the military and protect his home. That was his drive to train in fighting and learn how to shoot. And now, that dream was taken away from him on a personal choice because Hiccup understands what it means to sacrifice for the greater good. It's when you do something selfless that benefits everyone else but yourself, and you end up suffering the most. Give the lad some time; he's still recovering, and there will be days that are harder than others; just like with him mourning Olivia," Gobber explained.

"Hiccup's music has always been inspirational on many levels of emotions, and that's what levels him out in a weird way," Valka smiled a bit. "As he said; everything done has to have a reason behind it. Once you find your inspiration; you hold on and don't let go," Astrid's eyes were on the door where Hiccup exited; holding his words with both hands, and she would not let go.


	58. Awkward

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Awkward

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, May 7, 2022- 7:30 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The rest of Friday night was uneventful. Hiccup returned to hang out at dinner time, and by this hour; Runa had been brought home from being with the Holgerson Family. After supper; we all set up for another exciting Friday Night Sleepover. Hiccup's mood seemed to improve, so it was a fun night of games, snacks, and talking. Hiccup slept in his spare room downstairs off the Gamer's Paradise space with Runa in there too; she stayed in her bassinet. I got permission to use Hiccup's recliner, which was interesting because no one else was allowed to be in it but him. No idea why; it was firmly labeled as his by Hiccup's closest friends. Today, Hiccup was up first at 6:30 am with Runa; then the rest of us shortly thereafter by 7:15 am. Once everyone had used the bathroom and changed into their fresh clothes; our group of friends made their way upstairs for breakfast. Stoick, Gobber, and Valka were already seated doing their morning things.

Stoick had a cup of coffee while enjoying some toast, eggs, home fries, and bacon while reading the paper. Gobber was reading the sports section of the newspaper with coffee and a half-eaten plate of eggs; it seemed that he'd finished everything else. Vaka was reading a book with a glass of orange juice and plate toast and some sausage with home fries on the side.

"Good morning, kids," Stoick greeted.

"Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Haddock. Morning, Mr. Forger," we replied back. Hiccup went over to hug his parents, then his uncle. Valka snagged Runa from Hiccup after placing her book down to play with the almost eleven-month-old. I couldn't believe Runa would be turning a year old June 11th; it was so close. And at the same time; I knew it was going to be a hard day for Hiccup to get through. I hoped Hiccup would shut everyone out; it was supposed to be a good day when Runa turned one.

"Grab some grub," Gobber invited. "And call me Gobber," he added with a laugh. Soon, we all had a plate of food and were sitting down in the formal dining room to eat.

 **. . .**

 _ **{8:45 am}**_

A little over an hour later, everyone had finished and the dishes cleared away by staff. Most of us sat around relaxing, still waking up, and chatting with one another. Stoick and Valka were playing with Runa and Gobber had gone off to do something.

"So what's the plan today, Hiccup?" Eret asked.

"Well, Astrid has a training session with me, but that won't take too long provided she hasn't forgotten what I taught her yesterday," Hiccup stated as I muttered, but I knew what he was getting at.

"I haven't," I informed.

"Then today should be easy," Hiccup sat back and relaxed. "And I'm gonna kick it off with a morning flight," he pushed away from the table and got up.

"Can we come?" Camicazi wondered.

"If you can keep up," Hiccup grinned a bit. "I'm testing a couple of things; Toothless and I need speed to do it," he added. "Mom, Dad? You in?" he invited.

"I'll pass, son," Valka replied.

"Same. When you say you're testing things; I know it usually involves your daring air moves, and I don't need a stroke before nine in the morning," Stoick chuckled.

"Awe, come on. They aren't that scary…" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Oh, no. Not at all, Hiccup. I'm getting anxiety just remembering the day you jumped off Toothless mid-air, and the two of you let yourselves freefall towards the ocean," Valka huffed sarcastically.

"Hey, we were totally fine," Hiccup defended.

"It doesn't make it any less terrifying to see your fifteen-year-old son freefall from cloud level off his Night Fury who can't fly by himself!" Stoick sighed. "You go off and have your fun,"

"Your loss," Hiccup shrugged as he kissed Runa's forehead, then headed out into the backyard to get to the stables.

"Keep an eye on him, dear," Valka looked at me.

"Yes, Ma'am," I gave a short salute then hurried out after Hiccup and our friends followed behind.

 _=Normal POV=_

Astrid and the friends arrived to see Hiccup putting Toothless's rig on him and securing the straps. Quickly, they rounded up their dragons to join Hiccup on his morning flight with Toothless. Hiccup grabbed something out of a cabinet in Toothless's stall; then started putting it on himself.

"What's that?" Ruffnut asked.

"Riding suit," Hiccup answered while making sure everything was on properly. "Toothless and I fly fast, and this help block some of the wind hitting me hard," he added. Hiccup got on Toothless's back and switched his leg to the riding one; then positioning that to clip on the left side of the rig. "Ready, bud?" Toothless gave the nod and slight warbled. Hiccup grabbed a metal helmet out of the saddle bag; it had spikes along the top and only eye holes, but a leather piece so Hiccup could breathe still. Hiccup slid it on his head and flipped the top down to reveal his green eyes.

"That suit is awesome," Snotlout said.

"Thanks," Hiccup responded, though, his voice was much deeper now. "Let's fly, Toothless!" he called. Toothless launched into the sky fast, and soon the others were right behind him. However, Hiccup and Toothless were still ahead. After ten minutes, the rest of the friends were able to see that they were over water now. "Ready, pal?" Hiccup asked. Toothless gave a snort but assured nod to his rider. "Let's do it," he said while adjusting himself to be lying flat on Toothless's back and holding a pair of handles on the saddle.

"What's he doing?" Ragna questioned.

"It's Hiccup; we never know until he does it," Heather sighed.

"Ain't that the truth," Dagur agreed.

"Give me all you got, Toothless!" Hiccup stated. Suddenly, Toothless started climbing higher before diving straight down. Knowing they couldn't keep up but determined to stay as close as they were able; the friends followed the path. While diving, the sound of a whistle was heard and Toothless was nearing the water.

"Damn, he's fast…" Thuggory blinked.

"Notably in a dive, Night Furies have ridiculous speeds," Minden informed.

"How fast is he going right now?" Ragna inquired.

"Hard to say without a reading," Fishlegs said. Nearing the water; Toothless curved and shot forward leaving a weird cone behind them. "No way…" he gasped.

"Wh-What is it?" Astrid asked.

"Didn't you see what formed behind Toothless on the curve?!" Fishlegs asked. "That's a Mach Cone! Only formed when something hits supersonic speed! Hiccup and Toothless just broke the sound barrier!" he cheered excitedly.

"Isn't the speed of sound like seven hundred miles per hour?" Camicazi looked over.

"Seven hundred and sixty-seven miles per hour to be exact!" Fishlegs squealed.

"Wouldn't those speeds kill Hiccup?!" Astrid panicked.

"Not with how Hiccup is sitting; he's laying flat on Toothless's back! It inadvertently means that he's positioned himself to be something attached to Toothless so the speeds won't knock him off. There's no wind resistance when he lies flat," Fishlegs informed. Hiccup and Toothless headed into the water as the rest stopped before Hiccup came back up and hovered over the water now. Hiccup lifted his mask and threw his hands up.

"Yes! I knew we could do it!" Hiccup rubbed the sides of Toothless's face.

"Hiccup! Hiccup, you hit Mach One!" Fishlegs geeked out.

"I know! I heard a rumor that Night Furies could because it was written that way in all the dragon history books for what little is known about Night Furies. Technically; it was theorized over the centuries but never proven because most humans won't survive a flight at that speed without protective covering!" Hiccup replied quickly.

"That's what the suit and lying against Toothless is for, right?" Snotlout asked.

"Something like that. I knew we'd need a good dive level to attempt this to see if it was true, and it is. Night Furies can hit the speed of sound in a dive," Hiccup said.

"So, what can he hit normal level without the dive?" Eret questioned.

"That's the next test. How fast can Toothless fly without the dive behind him to pick up speed," Hiccup smiled.

"Please be careful," Astrid tried.

"You need not worry, Milady," Hiccup replied as Astrid blushed a bit. "I did a lot of research before attempting all this. I took the necessary precautions to ensure I don't get hurt, but these types of tests can be added to the books, and more people can learn about the rare, Strike Class dragons. You may remember in training that it was short lessons because not much is known on them," he added. "It's all for a good cause, I promise,"

"Okay…" Astrid nodded. Hiccup tossed Fishlegs something that looked like a speed gun radar.

"I want you to track Toothless's speed, and tell me what number it stays steady at for a minute and doesn't increase or decrease," Hiccup instructed.

"Got it," Fishlegs gave him a thumbs up.

"Ready, bud?" Hiccup asked as the dragon nodded once to him. Toothless zipped off as Fishlegs turned the machine on watching the numbers climb.

"Wow, he's already hitting over one hundred miles per hour," Dagur grinned. Finally, Hiccup turned around fast and flew by them leaving a trail of water behind.

"Th-That's it! Toothless's constant speed without being in a dive or having any kind of boost is four hundred and thirty-seven miles per hour!" Fishlegs yelled. Hiccup whipped around and back to them. "Four-thirty-seven," he reported.

"Nice, Toothless. Guess that's your normal top speed instead of two-fifty that we got with the old rig. Not bad for a one-tail finned dragon and one-legged human, right?" Hiccup chuckled. The dragon lifted his head back and licked Hiccup's cheek. "Ready for some fun?" the dragon warbled to him.

"What are you doing now?" Nadia wondered.

"Just some air tricks," Hiccup said. Hiccup patted Toothless's neck. "Come on," he said. "If you can keep up, you can watch," he added as Toothless darted off over the water again. The others raced to follow and keep up the best they were able. Hiccup put down his mask once more and laid flat on Toothless.

"This is so cool," Thuggory told the rest. Riding along the surface of the water but not touching it, the trail appeared when Hiccup and Toothless hit top flight speed. Hiccup leaned and turned with Toothless, adjusting the tail for them to do a quick barrel roll under the wing of an adult Thunderdrum that was swimming in the water below them.

"Yeah!" Hiccup cheered as Toothless began to climb higher past the clouds, and the friends struggled to keep up with him. At some point, Hiccup pulled himself up to be sitting on Toothless's back once again; bending forward once his leg was in place. Hiccup and Toothless were fast as they whipped through the clouds doing flips, spins, and letting themselves fall back without staying up, but quickly recovering and taking flight once more. Higher up now, Hiccup sat back as the two glided on the breeze with some Timberjacks with his arms out as if he were flying. Hiccup pushed the handles down and relaxed while looking around them. "What do you think, bud? Wanna give this another shot?"

"Uh, what's he talking about?" Camicazi asked.

Toothless gave a bored look and unamused growl to his friend. "Toothless…It'll be fine," Hiccup said as he pushed a piece on the rig, then another lever to keep the tail open. Hiccup sat up straight and took a breath before casually allowing himself to slip off and free fall down.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called.

"Oh! YEAH!" Hiccup called as Toothless instantly dove to follow his rider. Hiccup and Toothless span in sync while falling. The Night Fury even stuck his tongue out, enjoying this. Hiccup turned so he was headed down again and Toothless stayed above but watching. Hiccup bent himself a bit then extended as two triangular pieces of stitched together leather appeared along the length of his arms going outward and down his sides and legs.

"What the?!" the friends gasped in shock. Hiccup was literally flying alongside Toothless in the air. Hiccup pressed something on his chest as a back fin popped out.

"He has wings?!" the five newest friends gaped. Astrid was only in shock.

"Hiccup and his crazy inventions…" the other friends sighed. Toothless fired three blasts under Hiccup, and Astrid figured out that it was Toothless doing it so Hiccup would catch the updraft and stay in flight longer.

"Oh, this is amazing…" Hiccup cheered.

"Hiccup! Watch out!" Astrid warned. Hiccup looked ahead, seeing some sea stacks.

"No longer amazing. Toothless!" Hiccup yelled. The dragon tried to climb more, but the locked tail wasn't making it easy. However, Toothless blasted the rocks and wrapped his wings around Hiccup as they went into the fire. Astrid darted forward to see Toothless laying on the ground, wings still closed. Stormfly landed quickly.

"Hiccup? Hiccup, are you okay?" Astrid knelt down to check on him. Toothless opened his wings and Hiccup came out.

"Man…Almost had it that time," Hiccup smiled, up as if nothing happened. Toothless snorted at Hiccup while he was putting the wings away into his suit. Toothless used his tail to put Hiccup on his back with a grunt. "We gotta work on your landings, bud. That locked up tail makes for some sloppy rescue maneuvers…" he added.

"Are you alright?" Snotlout asked.

Yeah, I'm good. Was trying something new…" Hiccup replied. Toothless lifted a rock and pegged it at Hiccup's head. "Ow, what?" he asked. Toothless grumbled and turned his head from Hiccup. "Oh, what? You want an apology? Is that why you're pouting big baby boo?" Toothless didn't appear amused. Hiccup tossed down his helmet and charged at Toothless. "Well try this on for size?" Hiccup wasn't doing anything to affect Toothless. "Yeah, you feeling it? Are you picking up on all my heartfelt remorse?" he asked. Toothless got up on his back legs, walking like a human did. "Come on, you wouldn't hurt a-," Hiccup stopped when he glanced down and saw himself being held over the edge of the sea-stack. Hiccup held on tighter, a bit worried. "Woah! Okay. Okay, you win. You win…" he said as Toothless fell back and rolled, so Hiccup was pinned.

"I swear you two…" Astrid sighed with her arms over her chest.

"And he's down; it's ugly," Hiccup said as he and Toothless were wrestling with one another. Toothless pawing at Hiccup's head gently. "Dragons and Humans, enemies again…Locked in combat until the-," at that moment, Toothless dropped all his wait on Hiccup's lower half. "Ow…" he winced. Toothless started licking Hiccup's face. Hiccup rolled away and tried to wipe the dragon spit off. "Ugh, you know that doesn't wash out…" he groaned and flicked the spit back at Toothless who huffed and started to clean himself. The friends all stared in shock, then sighed collectively and shook their heads. Hiccup was probably the biggest kid of them all when it came to his Night Fury.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

After a small break on the sea stack; the group of friends returned to Hiccup's house and put their dragons away with some water and fish while they went inside to relax a bit. Runa was sleeping, so Valka and Stoick were relaxing together in the Great Room. Gobber was still off doing Odin only knew so that left Hiccup and Astrid in the weight room to train more in Martial Arts. The friends, like before, found places around the room to watch how Astrid would do today now that she had her inspiration to battle if necessary in another possible attack on her. Hiccup promised that he wasn't teaching her anything advanced; just enough that she could break free and run. And so far; Hiccup was keeping his vow. Currently, Hiccup was just having Astrid work on some kicks and punches that would put a potential attacker at bay or down long enough for her to escape.

"Come on, Ast. Hit it like you mean it," Hiccup ordered. Astrid tried punching again, but there was no force behind it.

"The bag hurts…" Astrid complained. "It just doesn't feel right when I punch…"

"Show me," Hiccup said as he let go of the bag and moved to see things from where she was standing. Astrid brought her hand into a fist. "Who taught you how to punch? That is all wrong; you'll break your thumb like that…" he said. "Position your hand this way," Hiccup instructed while showing her. "And don't be afraid to bring your arm back," he added while putting his hand on hers. "Like this," he moved her arm back with his to give her the feeling of the motions to achieve. "And then strike," Hiccup released her hand, and let his own fist fly into the bag, causing it to swing back. Hiccup put his hand out to stop it.

"Okay…" Astrid nodded as she copied Hiccup's stance and movements. The goal was reached as Astrid jumped up for joy happily. "I did it!" Of course, she forgot to stop the bag as it bumped into her and she fell against Hiccup as both of them went down. Hiccup taking the brunt of the fall on his back with Astrid on top of him. "I, uh, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention…" she said, pushing herself up with her hands onto her knees, but still over Hiccup.

"I-It's fine…Happened to me a few times too…No biggie," Hiccup replied.

"Right…I guess it'll take some getting used to," Astrid nodded.

"I'll teach you how to hit and kick it without someone holding it still for you," Hiccup offered.

"That, uh…That'd be nice…" Astrid said.

"Cool, we can…Work on that next. I, uh…Just need you to get off me first?" Hiccup stated. Astrid blushed furiously as she quickly got off Hiccup and stood, then offered her hand to help him up. "Thanks…And uh, good work on the punch…" he added.

"I have a good teacher," Astrid smiled. "Thank you for doing all this for me, Hiccup…" she said softly. "Odin knows I'd be kidnapped or dead by now if it weren't for you protecting me, and teaching me all this stuff…I kind of owe you my life…"

"Don't worry about it, Ast. It's what friends do…" Hiccup shrugged. "I'll always be here for you; you know that,"

"I do," Astrid replied. "Just wish there was some way I could repay you,"

"I'll settle for a hug," Hiccup chuckled. Astrid giggled some, hugging Hiccup tightly. However, as they pulled back; Hiccup did something nobody expected. Not even Astrid. Hiccup leaned in and kissed her. Everyone's eyes widened as their mouths dropped open in shock. Stoick and Valka had come downstairs to check on things and saw the sight, surprising them as well. Gobber showed up last.

"What's with all the sil-," Gobber began. "Oh! Oh, I see now," he added, eyes widened a bit. At the sound of Gobber's voice, Hiccup broke the kiss, which Astrid had returned. Hiccup let her go fast, looking almost afraid.

"Hiccup? What's wrong?" Astrid asked.

"I-I gotta go. I-I'm sorry…" Hiccup managed, then briskly walked out of the room leaving everyone confused and an awkward silence around them.


	59. Confessions

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Confessions

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, May 7, 2022- 11 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup kissed me. That's all that was running through my mind right now. Hiccup had kissed me of his own free will. Hiccup kissed me, and after a second or two; I kissed him back. As soon as Gobber's voice broke the silence; Hiccup snapped out of it and retreated from the room after saying he had to go and was sorry. The shakiness of his voice tells me that Hiccup is shocked by what he did, and probably mad at himself too. Those reasons, though; I don't know. I wasn't upset; just confused. Either way; it looked like Hiccup wanted to be alone, so I wasn't sure what to do now.

"I'll speak with him," Valka went to leave, but Stoick stopped her.

"Give Hiccup some time, and then I will talk to him," Stoick said.

"B-But," Valka started.

"Val…Trust me when I tell you this; Hiccup is not going to open up about his feelings to a woman when it involves a female and a situation such as this. Let Stoick handle this one," Gobber interjected.

"Okay," Valka nodded. "What do we do now?" she asked.

"Best if we all just go about our own thing; there's nothing we can do involving Hiccup until he returns," Dagur offered.

"That is likely a good course of action," Gobber nodded. I knew there was nothing I could do for right now except wait it out and hope to Odin that Hiccup didn't hate me. The last thing I wanted was to lose my chance with him, but I think what would be worse is losing my best friend.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:00 pm}**_

Hiccup was gone all day, but he must have taken Runa with him at some point because one of the staff members who usually took care of her if not Valka, Stoick, Gobber, or Olivia's family when Hiccup wasn't around said that Hiccup was taking Runa for a _Daddy and Daughter Day_ a little after 12:35 pm. Hiccup missed lunch and dinner. Also, he didn't take calls or answer text messages. I truly feared that Hiccup's and mine's friendship was going to change over this. I knew I liked Hiccup and wanted to tell him, but I was aware Hiccup was still mourning Olivia and probably didn't like me as more than his best friend. Of course, that doesn't make sense if Hiccup kissed me this time. I guess I'd never know unless we talked. And the longer Hiccup was away from the house; the more I felt that talk would never happen.

Currently; we're all outside now sitting around and enjoying how cool it was now that the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon.

"Stoick, either you get on Skullcrusher and go find him, or I'm taking Cloudjumper to do it myself…He's been gone all day," Valka insisted.

Stoick sighed as he prepared to get up, but no sooner than he had; Toothless was seen coming in for a landing. Valka stood as Stoick put a hand up to stop her. "Val…" he warned, Valka bit her bottom lip but remained still as Hiccup dismounted from Toothless then rubbed the top of his head.

"Thanks for today, bud," Hiccup said as he pressed his forehead to his Night Fury's. Toothless crooned and licked Hiccup's cheek. "Yeah, yeah; I love you too," he added. Toothless trotted off to the stables as Hiccup made his way to the back patio.

"Hi, son. Where's the lil lass?" Stoick asked.

"Maeva asked if she could take Runa for tonight, so I took her over after Runa and I spent the day at the park," Hiccup replied.

"Ah. Well, welcome home. Would ya like to join us?" Gobber tried.

Hiccup's eyes landed on me for a moment; then he looked away. "Maybe later…I'm…Starting to develop a migraine, so I'm gonna take one of my pills and lay down for a bit,"

"A-Aren't you hungry?" Valka inquired.

"No, thank you," Hiccup stated as he headed inside the house.

"Who else didn't buy that excuse?" Dagur looked at Stoick, Valka, and Gobber.

"No appetite and complaining of a migraine after being gone all day? Classic Hiccup has a lot on his mind and wants to figure things out," Heather remarked. Stoick began moving towards the house now.

"And that makes it my queue to step in, so he doesn't actually give himself a migraine," Stoick said as he disappeared behind the doors next.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **(Hiccup's Room)**_

Stoick made his way up the stairs and got in front of Hiccup's bedroom. The man raised his knuckle and knocked a few times. Inside, Hiccup was on his window seat of the room. His back was against one of the sturdy beams of the wall. The left leg was on the cushion, and the right dangled off the edge. Hiccup put his head down and sighed.

"Son? It's Dad. Can I come in?" Stoick asked. Hiccup really didn't want to talk to anyone about all this, but then again, maybe it would help.

"Yeah," Hiccup responded after a minute. The door opened as Stoick revealed himself and moved towards Hiccup. "What's up?" he asked his father.

"I think I'm the one supposed to be asking you that," Stoick said as Hiccup just stared out the window. "Come on, son. You know that I saw what happened earlier this morning; everyone did. And we know something about it has to be bothering you, so talk to me,"

"Before Olivia…I had the biggest crush on Astrid for the longest time. Yeah, we were best friends, but one day I just saw her, and everything was different. I knew I liked her more than a friend, and I never had the courage to tell her because I didn't want to ruin things between us in case she didn't like me back," Hiccup began.

"So what happened over the years. You and Astrid lost touch for a while; I remember that happening," Stoick inquired.

"When Colden was elected Mayor in our 5th-grade year; Astrid started hanging out with Cami, Thug, Ragna, Nadia, and Gruffnut. Over the years; she let the attention she got as the Mayor's daughter get to her, and she became one of them. Popular, mean, a bully like they were…Then towards the end of 8th, basically 9th; she met Eret and started dating him. I was sure I'd lost my chance with her, as well as our friendship," Hiccup explained.

"And now you're not so sure?" Stoick questioned.

"I'm conflicted…While she was with Eret; I had my own relationship with Olivia for two years. Astrid couldn't remember our friendship like she actually forgot we had been friends up until 8th grade. By 9th, she was gone entirely," Hiccup shrugged.

"What I'm asking, son is if now that Astrid is back in your life; the feelings for her are coming back?" Stoick repeated.

"I mean…I guess?" Hiccup replied questioningly as if he were unsure. Now, he sighed. "I just don't know, Dad. And that's what has me all messed up right now. Hell, I've been trying to figure things out since she kissed me…"

"Woah, wait…When did this happen?" Stoick wondered.

"Night of Astrid's birthday party. I restored her phone and put all her things on it from the old one that got destroyed. I even got back the text messages from the night her parents died. I guess she was so thankful and excited to get those messages that she kissed me out of the blue," Hiccup explained.

"That's how long you've been trying to figure things out?" Stoick asked.

"Yeah…I talked to the guys about it the same night it happened. And they reminded me about my crush on Astrid, saying that it's probably because I like her still and everything is coming back now that she's back in my life," Hiccup looked at him.

"What is making things confusing? It clear you like Astrid, son. You kissed her today, and she returned it from my angle…Then you just darted off," Stoick reminded.

"The night Astrid kissed me back in March…It sparked something that I thought was gone between her and me. The chance I had wanted before she became popular was back. And yet…I just can't bring myself to say anything about liking her. And the kiss today…I don't know why I took off. It just…I don't know, felt wrong. Not in a sense I didn't feel something for Astrid because I do, but allowing myself to kiss her…" Hiccup looked down, then out the window. "And now you see my problem; I don't even know how to explain it because I don't get it,"

"Hiccup, I understand," Stoick put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup looked over at him. "Listen, I can't tell you how to feel or what to do. Odin knows that even before you were eighteen; I couldn't. You've always done your own thing by following your heart and what felt right to do. And in this; I'm not sure what I can offer that would give you your answer. So I'm just gonna give you the best advice I can, okay?" he said.

"Alright…I'm all ears…" Hiccup said.

"You know that your mother is my first and last lover. And much like you liked Astrid from a younger age into adulthood; I developed a crush on your mom when I was about thirteen, and it became a full like by fifteen. Your mom and I were best friends too. I was always afraid to ruin that if I confessed my feelings to her, and that fear almost lost me her once through High School. It was Junior Year, and the prom was coming up; I was too stubborn to ask your mother to go with me. Another guy stepped up and asked; she accepted. At prom; I watched them dance and almost kiss. That kick in the ass was all I needed to get up and stop it. I marched right up to them and kissed her myself; I told her I loved her and always would no matter what. Your mom laughed at me but said _it's about time_. The rest of our night was great. We got together, engaged a few years after high school, then married before finally having you. And here we are now, still happy as ever," Stoick told his tale.

"You telling me that I should stop being scared and tell Astrid that I like her?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm suggesting that yes. Hiccup, you know you like her. And she kissed you back, so she must feel something for you. Also, she kissed you first. You already made my mistake once, by not telling her years ago before she got interested in Eret," Stoick reminded.

"Yeah, but my feelings changed, Dad. I fell in love with Olivia…We have a daughter together; we were married…Liv is my first love," Hiccup looked away now.

"No, son. Astrid is your first love. You admitted that to me when you said that her kissing you reignited a spark for her that you thought was gone. Astrid to you is Valka to me," Hiccup looked at his father, pain behind his eyes. "Now, I know you love Olivia, Hiccup, but she is no longer with us. And I know it hurts to hear, but if things were meant to be with her; she would still be here. I know it wasn't in her control, but she still passed," Stoick comforted.

"I know it's been six months, Dad, I just…Can't get past it…And letting myself feel more for Astrid, I feel like I'm betraying my wife…" Hiccup confessed.

"Hiccup, the vows are binding only until death do you part. And death has, unfortunately, parted you already," Hiccup looked down, playing with the rings that dangled from his neck. "Olivia will always be part of you, son. You had two amazing, loving, fun years together, and you have that beautiful little girl as the product of your love for one another. And it's okay to be upset and miss her. There will be days where it hurts you more, and you can take those days to remember. Share them with Runa, and always remember the time you had with her. But…You know as well as I do that she is gone and wouldn't want you to mourn her forever," Stoick rubbed his back a little.

"Would you be able to get over mom if you lost her…" Hiccup asked.

"It would be hard, and at my age; I probably wouldn't move on with anyone else. It would be hard; I can't deny that, son, but with time…Yes. Yes, I would accept things and keep going in life, always carrying her memory with me. And I'd have you too. Your mother, if she passed, would tell me to move forward and be happy knowing that she loves me and would always be around even if I can't see her," Stoick said. "But you're only eighteen, son. You became a father and husband at seventeen all before you've graduated, but it's not the end of your life. Hiccup, if you feel something for Astrid…Take it as the sign to move on," Stoick stared at him.

"My friends said that too; that Olivia would want me to be happy…" Hiccup said. "I know I like Astrid; it's more than a crush. I realized that when I learned of the accident and she was apologizing for my Jeep being ruined. I confessed then that the Jeep was replaceable, and she was not. And the day she jumped off the roof; I told her I refused to lose her again…"

"Do you love her?" Stoick questioned.

"I-I don't know. Maybe…?" Hiccup shrugged.

"It's okay if you haven't figured that much out yet. More time may reveal some deeper feelings, for now…What do you plan to do with what you do know? Are you going to tell her? Ask her out?" Stoick tried.

Hiccup thought about it for a moment. "Regardless of my feelings for Astrid…I'm not," Hiccup sighed. "I'm not ready to move on. I know it's been six months, but I'm just…Not there yet, Dad. Runa's birthday is coming up, and-," Stoick smiled and shook his head.

"And that is okay, Hiccup. You don't have to jump into another relationship if you're not ready. But you should still tell Astrid how you feel, and explain that you aren't ready to move on fully yet," Stoick advised. "Don't lose your chance, Hiccup…This is your second chance to tell her what you couldn't before everything happened. Don't waste this; it won't happen again,"

Hiccup nodded. "I won't…I just gotta figure out how I'm gonna do this,"

"I'll leave you to that then. And you know, Hiccup, if you ever have a problem you can't figure out; you can come to me or your mother. We'll help however we can. You don't have to do things by yourself either," Stoick got up as he kissed the top of Hiccup's head now.

"I'll remember that…Thanks, Dad," Hiccup closed his eyes and smiled a bit.

"Ready to join us?" Stoick inquired.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up," Hiccup informed. Stoick nodded as he exited the room leaving Hiccup to think about his next move.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:35 pm}**_

Hiccup knew he couldn't put it off any longer; his father was right. Hiccup had his second chance to tell Astrid, so he was going to do it. Hiccup took a deep breath as he finally exited his room and began making his way downstairs and outside where everyone was sitting around a small fire that had been made since it was such a nice night.

"He's coming," Dagur mentioned quietly. Hiccup moved behind Astrid's chair and stood there.

"Astrid," Hiccup got her attention. Astrid composed herself and hid the nervousness as she stood up and faced Hiccup slowly. "I think you and I should talk about a few things," he told her.

"S-Sure. I'm all ears," Astrid smiled a bit.

"Not here," Hiccup informed firmly; then he put his fingers to the corners of his mouth and gave a whistle. Moments later; Toothless came out and to Hiccup's side. Astrid watched as Hiccup got on Toothless's back and connected his left leg in place, opening the tail with a swift movement forward on the piece that controlled the opening and closing. Hiccup offered his hand to her as she stared at him. "Come on," Astrid took his hand as she climbed on behind Hiccup. "Hold tight," he said as Astrid wrapped her arms around his waist. "Toothless, sky!" the Night fury shot upward as Astrid buried her face in Hiccup's back, holding on to him.

Hovering over the area, but out of hearing distance from the others; Hiccup took a breath. "Okay, that was terrifying…" Astrid said once Toothless leveled out.

"You get used it after a while," Hiccup chuckled. "But…Now that we're away from prying eyes and eavesdroppers…I wanted to ask you something," he began.

"That would be?" Astrid wondered.

"The night of your birthday…Did you kiss me because you like me? As more than a friend?" Hiccup inquired.

Astrid knew she couldn't lie to him. "At the time…I wasn't sure. I knew I was happy, overjoyed…But it wasn't until the next morning that I realized I skipped a friendly-thank you hug and went right in for a kiss,"

"So you do like me?" Hiccup asked.

"I do," Astrid nodded, still holding on to him. Toothless took them a bit higher.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hiccup wondered.

"I guess I was afraid you wouldn't like me back. I-I know that you love Olivia. I mean; you were married to her…And I felt regardless of my feelings for you; I couldn't compete with that, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship consider we were just getting back to how things were before I turned into a bitch by joining the others…" Astrid looked off to the side. Hiccup glanced back at her, but then looked forward. "I liked you before too,"

"Come again?" Hiccup asked, a little surprised.

"Before I became popular and stuff…I had a huge crush on you in Elementary School into Middle School. But we started getting distant, so I never got to tell you. And then I met Eret, thinking you and I weren't friends anymore…When he asked me out; I said yes because I thought I lost you. That song…True Love; I wrote it over my feelings for you," Astrid explained softly.

"That was…For me?" Hiccup asked.

"We were the best of friends, Hiccup. We did everything together, were closer than any of our other friends. Hell, my parents used to tease that they saw you and me being high school sweethearts like they were. That we'd get together, end up married…I hated it when they said all that stuff, but being around you…How I felt before Freshman Year. Maybe they were onto something after all; I didn't just like you…I was in love with you," Astrid lowered her head a bit.

"Being Eret was interesting, but I…I didn't get the feeling with him that I had being around you. I used to say I hated you…Just to stop feeling the love part. Never worked. I guess my feelings for you never really stopped; I buried them knowing that how things were between you and me. I know now that it's my fault, of course. But all that aside…I wrote True Love to express how I had everything with you, and then it was just gone. But secretly, I always hoped I could get it back…" Astrid finished.

"The day I heard you sing it; I was hurt because it explained how I felt about losing the girl I like, and my best friend…" Hiccup said. Astrid's eyes widened a bit as she caught Hiccup peering back at her a bit.

"Y-You liked me too?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded as the two were above the clouds now and Astrid looked around at the dark sky above. "But like you thought…I had lost you, and my chance because I never spoke up. You were with Eret, and I had met Olivia. You know that whole story…" Hiccup trailed off. "I guess we both assumed things about the other when maybe what happened between us wouldn't have happened if we just talked,"

"Right…" Astrid agreed. "Can I ask you something?" Hiccup nodded. "Were you going to kiss me the other day, when we sang True Love together?"

"I was," Hiccup admitted.

"Why didn't you?" Astrid wondered.

"Because I was conflicted about things. Old feelings for you resurfacing, still mourning Liv…I just…I don't know how to explain it. I didn't want to do anything until I figured out what was happening to me," Hiccup informed.

"And kissing me today?" Astrid pushed.

"Astrid, since the day you kissed me…I've been trying to figure things out. I figured it was overexcitement, but still…Something hooked me, and I couldn't ignore it. Something sparked my feelings for you from before we temporarily broke up as friends. The more time we spent together; the more it continued to grow. The day we sang; Olivia flashed into my mind before I would have kissed you. It made me pull back and ask myself what the hell I was doing. And today; I just couldn't fight it anymore. I had to see how I'd feel if I kissed you. And the results…Scared me,"

"What do you mean?" Astrid questioned.

"I was scared because that spark I'd been feeling since March turned into a flame that hasn't stopped burning. I understood that my feelings for you have always been around; they never stopped, just lessened because of the hurt I felt losing you. I guess…Secretly; I always hoped I'd get another chance to tell you what I couldn't before," Hiccup kept his eyes forward. "The rest of what made things conflicting is that I do still love Olivia…And part of me felt like I was betraying her…"

"Because she's your wife, and mother of your child…" Astrid said gently. "Hiccup, it's okay. I understand what she means to you. I told myself that no matter what; I would never take her place. I'm good as long as I get to be your best friend and in your life as that is enough for me," she smiled. Hiccup didn't say anything at first, a bit surprised at what she said. The two of them stayed on Toothless, then before their eyes were the Northern Lights. Astrid gasped in delight seeing them, snuggling into Hiccup more and admiring the flight. "This is beautiful…I can't believe I've never seen this before…"

"Gotta come up at the right time, just above the clouds," Hiccup finally spoke. Then he sighed as he turned more to face Astrid. "Listen…I will always have a place in my heart for Olivia, Astrid, but she isn't my first love," Astrid looked at him now. "You are. If…Liv and I were meant to be; she would still be here. They say if people are meant to be; they come back…Liv didn't, but you did. No matter what occurred for it to take place…Here you are back in my life. Astrid; I like you a lot. I really do. I can't deny that, and I won't fight it. I'd like to see where things go for us…"

"I do too if…You'll have me?" Astrid said.

"That's…The other thing," Hiccup trailed off a bit. "And I really hope you won't hate me…"

"I don't think that's possible," Astrid stated.

"While I do like you, Astrid, and I want to be with you…I'm just not ready yet. You know, for another relationship. I'm still mourning Liv, Runa's birthday is coming up, we got this Drago thing to deal with…I just…" Hiccup sighed.

"Hiccup," Astrid cupped his cheek with a smile. "First of all, land…Because I'm actually getting cold up here," she giggled as Hiccup flipped Toothless around and the two landed back in the yard. Astrid got off Toothless then Hiccup right after her as she held his hand lightly. "And secondly; I've waited for you all this time, even with all the bumps along the road. I think I can wait a little longer. After all, I'm not going anywhere. You forget we're attached at the hip for the time being. So relax; you take all the time you need, and I will still be here when you're ready," she added with a smile.

Hiccup smiled a bit, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Asty" he hugged her.

"You're welcome, Hic," Astrid hugged him back. "Now, come to join us. We're having a campfire…" Astrid held his hand, pulling him over towards the group. Astrid knew Hiccup wasn't ready yet, and that was okay with her. The confessions were all she needed, now things would be okay; she had faith in that.


	60. Round The Fire

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Round The Fire

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, May 7, 2022-8 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I finally understood Hiccup avoided me all day after the kiss. It's because he still loves Olivia, and mourning her being gone from his life when the two had been in love, raised Runa, and were married briefly. However, Hiccup was fighting his feelings of letting go and moving on. What shocked me was learning Hiccup liked me before he met Olivia and that his feelings for me never truly faded because he was hurt by the fact I abandoned him and the others once I become rich. Hiccup admitted that he wants to be with me, but he isn't ready yet. I can respect that entirely, and I admired it more that he was honest in not being ready to move forward into another relationship. Hiccup was still mourning as it has only been six months since Olivia's passing, but also; there was Runa's first birthday coming up, and all this Drago nonsense that has yet to be wrapped up. I understood Hiccup and I both had a lot going on and holding off on jumping into anything was the best course of action for now.

I loved the sight of the Northern Lights from on Toothless's back above the clouds, and I'm glad I got to see it with Hiccup. At the moment, we're all sitting around a calm fire in the backyard; I'm next to Hiccup and relaxing. I wasn't sure how we'd spend the rest of the night, but this was nice.

"Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"Hm?" Hiccup glanced her way.

"How about some of your campfire songs? You used to do them all the time when we went camping over the summer to Dragon's Edge," Valka asked.

"You mean go get my acoustic and start playing songs everyone knows?" Hiccup inquired as she and Stoick nodded their heads. "Fine," he sighed as he got up and moved inside. Ten minutes, Hiccup was back out with a black acoustic guitar. "Alright, what do you wanna hear?"

"Oh, I get first pick?" Valka beamed.

"It was your idea," Hiccup stated.

"Oh, what about that Wherever You Will Go one? The one you made to the music video?" Valka asked.

"No," Hiccup remarked firmly. "Anything but that," he added.

"What about the wed-," Valka tried.

"And that," Hiccup responded. Valka huffed. "Sorry, Mom. Trying to get past it, not back into misery mourning,"

"Which is fine…Right, Val?" Stoick looked at her.

"Of course," Valka nodded, remembering what Stoick told her earlier. "I only asked because we never got to hear it,"

"And it's likely that no one ever will," Hiccup informed.

"It might make you feel better," I suggested. "Like the Tidal Wave one,"

"This is different, Astrid…The song was performed once; the day Liv passed…I sang it to her when no one else was in the room," Hiccup muttered. The area was quiet now, nobody wanting to push the issue.

"Dada!" came Runa's voice. Hiccup's head snapped up and looked behind him to see Maeva, Birger, and Bard making their way over.

"Roo?" Hiccup got up after setting the guitar against his chair. "I thought she was spending the night with you guys. Is something wrong?"

"No, no; she's fine, Hiccup. I just think she wants you tonight; she's been crying and yelling for her daddy," Maeve smiled softly as Hiccup took Runa from her. Runa was whimpering a bit, but snuggling against Hiccup's chest. Hiccup pressed his cheek to her forehead and frowned a bit.

"She's warm," Hiccup mentioned. "Doctor said she might get ear infections and fevers accompanied with discomfort from teething…" he dug into the diaper bag to get out a bottle of medicine, then started shaking it. Hiccup sat down as Runa sat up in his lap while Hiccup uncovered the top and revealed a dropper there. Hiccup filled it to the right amount and gave it to Runa. Afterward, Hiccup put the stuff away and pulled out a stuffed, green Changewing and held it out to Runa; she giggled and took it quickly, holding it close. Hiccup got a black blanket next, but the top of it was a Night Fury.

"Hey…I have one of this…" I smiled. "Does it have her name on birthday on it?"

"Yeah…" Hiccup nodded with a smile. Runa's hand moved up and grabbed hold of the chain where Hiccup's and Olivia's wedding rings were.

"Mama?" Runa asked.

"Just me, Princess…" Hiccup said softly. It broke my heart; I've heard babies can sense when something isn't right. Runa must know Hiccup is missed Olivia right now. Runa laid her head on Hiccup's chest, yawning. Hiccup covered her up more and leaned back in the chair. "I know you miss her…I do too," he closed his eyes.

"We were watching some home videos with Olivia in them…Runa was in her walker and kept touching the screen saying _mama_. When we tried to lay her down she started crying for you, so we came back…" Bard explained.

"It's okay; I don't mind. I miss my night cuddles when she's not here," Hiccup said, relaxing. After a few moments of silence; Hiccup started humming when Runa got fussy. Instantly; the child began to quiet down and look up at him.

" _Grandma and Grandpa painted a picture of sixty-five years in one little house. More than a memory. More than saying I Do, kiss you goodnights, and I Love You's,"_ Hiccup began singing. My eyes went from the fire to his figure. There was no music, no playing the guitar; nothing. It was just Hiccup singing in the silence. Valka tapped Stoick's arm to get his attention, and soon everyone's eyes were on Hiccup, but he had his closed and didn't seem to realize everyone was watching him.

" _Me and you baby will walk in their footsteps. Build our own family one day at a time. Ten little toes, a painted pink room; our beautiful baby looks just like you,"_ Hiccup continued as he looked down at Runa in his arms. Runa smiled and snuggled more. _"And we'll build this love from the ground up, now til forever. It's all of me, all of you; just take my hand, and I'll be the man your dad hoped that I'd be. And we'll build this love from the ground up, for worse or for better. And I will be all you need, beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad; we'll give all that we have. And well build this love…From the ground up,"_

Hiccup hummed a bit more as he was rubbing Runa's back while she began to fall asleep. _"This life will go by in the blink of an eye, but I wouldn't want to spend it without you by my side. The clouds are gonna roll; the Earth's gonna shake, but I'll be your shelter through the wind and the rain!"_ Hiccup felt Runa hold the rings tighter as he closed his eyes.

" _And we'll build this love from the ground up, now til forever. It's all of me, all of you; just take my hand, and I'll be the man your dad hoped that I'd be. And we'll build this love from the ground up, for worse or for better. And I will be all you need, beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad; we'll give all that we have. And well build this love…From the ground up,"_ Hiccup continued, then picked up humming more of the tune. Bard was holding Maeva while Birgir moved closer to Hiccup and smiled.

" _Someday we'll wake up with thousands of pictures, of sixty-five years in this little house. I won't trade for nothing, the life that we built. I'll kiss you goodnight, and say I Love You still,"_ Hiccup took a breath. The song was beautiful, and I loved how it sounded even without the music I assumed went with it.

" _And we'll build this love from the ground up, for worse or for better! And I will be all you need, beside you I'll stand. Through the good and the bad; we'll give all that we have. And well build this love…From the ground up,"_ Hiccup's voice softened. _"From the ground up…Ohh.."_

Runa was out like a light as Hiccup kept his head back on the rest of the chair, eyes closed.

"That was beautiful, Hiccup," I said gently.

"It was mine and Olivia's wedding song. I titled it; From The Ground Up. Never made the music for it…And I probably never will," Hiccup started, then looked at his mother. "Don't ever ask me to sing it again, Mom…" he stated quietly.

"Shall I take her, Young Master Haddock?" inquired a female staff member. Hiccup looked back at the Holgerson's.

"Do you want to take her for the night, or should I keep her?" Hiccup asked.

"I think she's pretty content with you," Bard smiled. "We'll take her another time,"

"Understood. Talk to you through the week, and please return home safely," Hiccup nodded.

"We will. Goodnight, Hiccup," Maeva kissed Runa's cheek, then backed up with a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Night," Hiccup said after shaking Bard's hand and giving Birger a one-armed hug. The three left after that as Hiccup relaxed in the chair a moment longer. "You can take her up to her room," he added to the staff member standing beside him. The woman smiled, nodding; the carefully took Runa from Hiccup before going inside. Fifteen minutes later; she returned with the baby monitor that Hiccup set on a table beside him revealing Runa on camera fast asleep.

"What now?" Snotlout questioned.

I could tell Hiccup was upset, and this was all I needed to know Hiccup wasn't ready to move on yet. Little things like just now are what he had trouble letting go of and moving forward. I feel like Hiccup would have been okay if Valka hadn't asked Hiccup to sing the wedding song for him and Olivia. Hiccup's mood had gone a bit sour, and he wasn't replying to anyone now.

"Screw it…" Hiccup got up and moved away from the fire, but leaned against a post while pulling out a small box; I couldn't see what it was in the darkness. However, my eyes widened when I saw him place a small tube with an orange bottom between his lips. It was a cigarette. Hiccup put the pack in his pocket while covered the tip and lighting it with a red lighter. Hiccup took a drag, then lifted his head towards the sky before blowing out the smoke.

"HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK!" Valka screeched. "What in the name of Odin are you doing?!"

"Smoking," Hiccup replied calmly.

"Since when?!" Valka demanded. "Stoick! Say something!"

"What would you like me to say, Val? Hiccup is eighteen, and it's perfectly legal…" Stoick reminded. "Though, I do suppose I want to know what it's all about, son? You've never smoked before…"

"Little after my birthday," Hiccup shrugged with the cigarette between his middle and index finger. "There was a lot going on; I got stressed out…A friend at work let me have a few drags off theirs on break when they saw me stressing, and I liked it, so yeah…"

"Hiccup…Smoking is so unhealthy…" Valka frowned.

"It's not like I do it all the time, Ma. Relax a little…" Hiccup sighed, taking another drag and blowing it out before moving back to his chair and sitting down.

"This is the first I'm ever learning of it, and here I thought you didn't do these kinds of things," Valka huffed, clearly not approving of Hiccup's stress-reliever method.

"You also thought I wasn't capable of having sex at sixteen, became a father and husband at seventeen, now widowed or whatever before eighteen?" Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"No, I did not. You were always a good boy…" Valka stated.

"And who said I'm not? Just because I've done a few things that all teenagers do?" Hiccup questioned.

"Not all teenagers do the things you've done, Hiccup," Valka argued.

"Really?" Hiccup asked, giving his mother a bored look. "You're going to sit there and tell me you and Dad didn't do anything as teenagers?"

"Well, I…" Valka paused as Hiccup took another drag and blew it out with a smile.

"Uh huh…You aren't fooling anyone, Mom. Uncle Gobber has told me too many stories of your _teenage_ years," Hiccup remarked.

"Gobber…" Stoick warned. "What have you told him?"

"Nothing much…Just what he basically said. You two weren't all that innocent in your teenage years either," Gobber stated. "Give the lad a break; he's had to deal with a lot that most teenagers don't. I don't see the harm in what he's doing,"

"He's smoking!" Valka screeched again.

"And there's worst things he could do, Val. He's sitting around the fire with family and friends taking some stress off," Stoick sighed.

"Yeah, Mom. I could be out drinking and doing drugs, never home, getting into trouble…I mean, the possibilities are endless," Hiccup reminded.

"You are not helping," Valka stated to her husband.

"But he's not wrong, Mom. Dad's just telling you how it is, and being real with you," Hiccup said.

"But Hiccup…" Valka began.

"But nothing. I know people my age who go to raving parties with alcohol, weed, ecstasy where all they do is get fucked up and laid every couple of nights. Believe me; I've got connections to do the same…But I don't, Mom. Okay? I'm home, safe and sound with family and friends. Me smoking a cigarette shouldn't' be one of the things that make you think I'm some kind of delinquent…" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Still, Hiccup…Your father and I raised you to deal with your problems differently," Valka sighed, defeated.

"You taught me not to give in to peer pressure, and I haven't. A friend at work saw me stressing out, so he asked if I wanted to take a drag or two. I said yes…Had I said no; he wouldn't have backed off. This was my choice; nobody made me do it," Hiccup explained as he dug into his pocket and tossed her the cigarette pack. "There are twenty smokes to a pack, including this one now…I've only had about five since March when I bought that. You are free to check the receipt as it's still in there,"

Valka opened the top and saw the receipt, she closed her eyes and passed it back to Hiccup as he put it away again, then took another drag before looking at her. "I only do it when I'm ridiculously stressed out and upset,"

"And I get that, Hiccup…But still. You've done so many things that your father and I taught you not to do…Having a child at seventeen being one of them…" Valka mumbled.

"Oh, for the love of-" Hiccup sighed. "Ma, don't make me have to explain to you the changes a teenager, male or female can sometimes go through after puberty. It was just sex…"

"Which leads to getting pregnant!" Valka countered.

"Dad, help…Please?" Hiccup asked.

"Val, leave the boy be. Come on…He's a teenager; they all end up having sex before High School is over these days. You know that; we did it on prom night…" Stoick reminded.

"STOICK!" Valka glared.

"What? It's not a lie. Don't give the boy a hard time about something we did too, that's all I'm saying. So what if he had sex at sixteen; it happens when hormones take over. At least he didn't do it with a stranger and took responsibility when Olivia got pregnant. And I can promise you that regardless of age, our boy doesn't regret any of it," Stoick laughed a little.

"Nope," Hiccup shook his head. "Given the chance to go back and do it again; I'd still do it the same way. And seriously Mom…If Liv were still alive, bet you two weeks worth of pay that I'd be upstairs doing her instead of smoking,"

"HICCUP! I am your mother; I don't want to hear about your sexcapades, young man!" Valka paled.

"Mother, a sexcapde is going around having sex with anyone whenever I can. You know what else we call that…Being a whore. I promise you that I'm not one," Hiccup laughed. "If Liv were still here; I'd be making love to her as a husband does with his wife,"

"Well put, son," Stoick nodded.

"And you wouldn't be smoking if you were with her?" Gobber arched a brow.

"Fuck no. Having a release is a hundred times better in reducing stress, and any guy or girl here isn't going to dispute that fact," Hiccup smiled. "If I could be having sex right now, I would. Just being honest. The only reason I'm not is that Liv is gone, and I'm single. Not gonna do it with someone I don't care about,"

"100% true, my friend," Eret nodded.

"Gonna have to agree with that one," Dagur raised his hand. "Sorry, Mrs. Haddock, but Hiccup's right,"

"Wouldn't masturbation achieve the same effect?" Ragna asked.

"If you've never had sex before, probably. Once you've done it; masturbation doesn't compare," Thuggory informed.

I couldn't help but giggle a bit, but hide it. Poor Valka looked horrified at the information. "This is also what teenagers do; talk about this stuff as a normal conversation topic," Gobber nudged her arm.

"At least I'm honest about the things I've done whereas most teens hide it from their parents about what they do," Hiccup shrugged. "Again, worst things I could do, so relax a bit," Hiccup reminded.

"I suppose," Valka sighed. "Just don't get addicted to it, Hiccup. It starts with smoking, and when that doesn't work anymore; teens tend to look for harder things,"

"Well, I don't have to look very far; I can switch to pot or harder with one call," Hiccup said.

"HICCUP!" Valka scolded.

"I'm KIDDING! Odin above, relax!" Hiccup laughed with our friends. Even Stoick and Gobber did. "Look, Mom. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you I'm your perfect kid. But...In the face of it, nobody is perfect," Hiccup finished his cigarette then tossed the butt into the fire with a flick before releasing the smoke. Hiccup smiled now, and I was happy to see it. Yeah, weird that he smoked, but there were worst things he could be involved in. I guess a cigarette once in a blue moon wasn't the worst, just new to process the information.

"Well, we'll leave you kids to enjoy the night," Stoick said pulling Valka away from the fire as Gobber followed.

"So, now that that parents are gone," Snotlout grinned at Hiccup.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"What you said before. About being if you weren't single, you'd be having sex right now. That go for meaning you'd sleep with Astrid, right? As someone you care about?" Tuffnut teased. My eyes widened to saucers, a blush encasing my face.

"I mean, I guess?" Hiccup said.

"Excuse me?" I asked quickly.

"N-Now hang on, Ast…I didn't mean it as in like…Right now," Hiccup put his hands up. "Unless, of course, you wanted to,"

"Would that not make us friends with benefits?" I rolled my eyes.

"I, uh…I didn't hear you saying no to the offer," Eret chuckled. I blushed hard.

"Hah! Check her face; she'd totally do it," Ruffnut laughed.

"She's curious," Camicazi smiled. Hiccup stared at me now.

"Wait, no…Hang on," I tried.

"She totally wants to know what it's like to fuck him," Snotlout pointed. I got flustered and walked away from the fire where they were, crossing my arms over one another.

"Guys…Back off a little. Things between Astrid and me are a bit…What's the best way to put it? Up in the air right now. There are mutual feelings on both sides. We've talked about it, and we're just going to leave things alone…And see where it goes, but we're not together. Okay? I've already told Astrid I'm not ready to move on yet, and she understands that. So be mindful and respectful of the boundaries," Hiccup advised, though, I heard him.

"No problem, Hic. Just a little fun is all," Thuggory said.

"Well, like I said…Mind the boundaries now that you know where Astrid and I are right now…" Hiccup got up and moved my way. "Astrid…Are you, ya know, curious about sleeping with me?" Hiccup asked. "Come on; we're all being honest here…And after our little chat earlier; I figured you would be to,"

"Okay, given what was said earlier and everything…Maybe there's a little curiosity on the subject…" I admitted. "But we're not doing anything. Especially not with how things are right now…" I said quietly. "Perhaps with some time, like we said before?"

"Hey, I get it, Ast. We're teenagers; feelings and hormones are running high especially knowing that we have feelings for one another. We've shared a few kisses in the heat of the moment…Sometimes, you can't help it and-You know what…Ignore all that, and I'll leave it at this, okay?" Hiccup said as I nodded. "I'm not gonna make you do anything. But if you ever get an urge or whatever that I cause-," Hiccup stammered a bit.

I smiled some. "I hear what you're saying. I just wouldn't want anything to be awkward with us…Since we're not together as a couple,"

"We've always been friends, even with a couple of years break when you were popular; we made it back to where we are now," Hiccup offered.

"I know, but let's not worry about it right now. Things are still…New, ya know? Come on, let's join the others," I added. Hiccup and I walked back to the fire, and being respectful; we changed subjects for conversation pieces. I was glad Hiccup, and I talked…And I'm happy to give him his space while we let things run their course. Tonight, though, had been perfect and now we could just enjoy it; a group of friends talking and relaxing around the campfire.


	61. Conflicted

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Conflicted

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, May 12, 2022-3:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

"Okay, so what are we working on today?" Astrid asked upon reaching the weight room with Hiccup. It had been about a week since the two of them confessed their feelings to one another, but also where Hiccup told Astrid he wasn't ready for another relationship just yet. Finals were upon them coming Monday the 16th, so this weekend would be spent doing any makeup work or studying to prepare. This was one of the final steps in Senior Year. The rest were Prom on June 3rd, and lastly, Graduation on the 18th of June. Their time at Archian Preparatory was coming to an end, and boy, what a year it had been for all of them. What started out as two groups of friends as enemies turned into one pack of pals, minus one who had taken off after severe embarrassment. The former popular crew had integrated nicely to Hiccup's friends; Hiccup and Astrid could say that the remaining five were mostly forgiven.

"Takedowns and pins," Hiccup informed. "It would be crucial knowledge if you need to hold someone until police arrive,"

"Couldn't Stormfly do that for me, as you did a few weeks ago?" Astrid wondered.

"That's one way, but you should always be prepared with another in case the first fails. It goes back to you needing to know basic skills if you were alone with no help," Hiccup explained. Astrid nodded, understanding. "A takedown or pin can be effective in getting the upper hand to keep fighting, or a way to escape,"

"Okay, how do I do it?" Astrid inquired.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:15 pm}**_

Hiccup taught Astrid the easiest takedowns and pins in a fight situation. Hiccup would show Astrid at what points she would be able to pull it off; then demonstrate how it would be done. When Hiccup thought she was ready to try it; she would use the moves on Hiccup to get him down on the ground, then pinned. Hiccup also made sure to show Astrid when it was best to get someone down and run for it as an escape because someone bigger and stronger than her could break free before help arrives; then she could be in more danger.

"Well done! Very impressive, Astrid," Hiccup praised as he saw Astrid work with the stand-in dummy human, which was now on the ground with Astrid holding it down in a pin. Hiccup taught her combo moves too; things to use one after the other and not give the attacker a minute to reciprocate. Hiccup had taught Astrid how to block, dodge, turn herself to make sure she didn't take a full hit; he did whatever he could that would help her if she needed to fight to defend herself and he wasn't around. These moves were used to set up for forcing someone to the ground, and or holding them there.

"Really? I did okay?" Astrid asked.

"Beter than I expected you would on the first day," Hiccup smiled. "And not bad for picking it up within an hour," he added as he helped her up and she fixed the dummy.

"What now?" Astrid looked at him.

"Now you do it with a real person," Hiccup said.

"Hey, guys," Thuggory greeted while Hiccup and Astrid turned to see the friends entering.

"Sup?" Hiccup asked.

"We were bored," Snotlout informed.

"So you came here?" Astrid blinked.

"Always do," Hiccup chuckled. "Well, find a spot and relax. Astrid and I are just wrapping up today's training session," he enlightened.

"What were you just saying about doing it with a real person?" Astrid wondered as she looked at him while the rest were finding a seat out of the way. Hiccup stepped towards her as he pulled the necklace with his wedding bands on them off and handed it to Dagur to hold on to. "Wait…No. No no no no…Hiccup, no. I'm not fighting you…" Astrid said quickly.

"You have to," Hiccup said. "You've seen how I fight, and all the people I've gone against whether they be one or several at one time. I've taught you the fundamental basics that I started with and have since expanded on over the years," he started.

"B-But…" Astrid tried.

"If you can't beat me; you don't stand a chance with a possible attacker who won't be showing you any mercy. I've told you, sometimes you only need to fight to get away. If you can get me on the ground and pin me; then I'll consider your training done," Hiccup informed as Astrid bit her bottom lip.

"And if not; we continue training…Don't we?" Astrid asked.

"That's how Gobber trained me; until I could beat him," Hiccup nodded. "It's not going to be a full fight; I know you're not ready for that yet. This is just me throwing you in scenarios to see how you get yourself out of them…" he offered. "I just wanna see where you're at without me coaching your responses," Astrid looked down a bit. "If you don't think you're ready, say so,"

"I-I'll never know if I don't try, right?" Astrid looked at him. Hiccup nodded to her. "Alright…I'm ready…" Astrid nodded.

"Good," Hiccup said as he watched Astrid close her eyes and take a breath; in that time, Hiccup snuck up behind and locked his arms around her arms and mid-section. Astrid tensed quickly; then narrowed her eyes as she threw her head back into Hiccup's face and his arms loosened. Astrid brought her elbow into his stomach to force him back more as she moved a few steps ahead and brought her arms up to defend herself. "Not bad, and nice job with throwing your hands up to defend. Now tell me why you did that instead of running?"

"In case there was another attacker hiding, or the first person recovered quickly and charged for me," Astrid replied. Hiccup nodded as Astrid lowered her hands and smiled a bit. However, Hiccup dashed in and knocked her down onto her back.

"Never let your guard down. You expect the battle to be fair; it will never be fair!" Hiccup scolded.

"What! What did I do?!" Astrid looked up at him surprised, and a bit scared at his tone.

"Just because you land a few good moves and get back doesn't mean you get cocky. Sure, maybe another attacker doesn't emerge, but you lowered your hands and left yourself open to being assaulted again," Hiccup got down to pin her arms over her head and sit on her waist, and then he moved his hands around her neck but didn't apply pressure."And from this position, you can be choked or pinned. Do you understand me? You could be kidnapped, raped, or killed because you thought you won," Hiccup reminded.

Astrid frowned with a huff. How could she have been so stupid to make a rookie mistake after the weeks of this Hiccup had been going over with her? Hiccup got off her and offered a hand to help her up. Astrid stood once more and kept her head down.

"I-I'm sorry…I thought the battle was over…" Astrid said.

"It's never over until help comes, you knock them out, or find a way to keep them in one place defenseless," Hiccup reminded. "Aside from being pinned because you lost sight of your objective, you still didn't know if your attacker had a weapon," Hiccup pulled a toy gun from behind him and squirted her with a little water in the chest. "Could have been killed," he added. "My rules of fighting are never to underestimate your opponent, never let your guard down, and always expect the unexpected,"

Astrid nodded to him. "I won't let it happen again," she affirmed.

"Ensure that you don't, because next time; it might not be me you're fighting, and you could end up dead as a worst-case scenario," Hiccup stated. "Want to try again?"

"I do," Astrid nodded. Hiccup lifted the gun once more, aimed for her head. Astrid moved left as she threw her hand out to grab Hiccup's wrist and turn it until he dropped the weapon. Hiccup's right fist came around as Astrid blocked it with ease before hooking her leg behind Hiccup's to force him to the ground. Astrid hurried to pin him, but Hiccup lifted his legs to lift her up and make her go over him, landing on her back. Hiccup went to pin her down and struggled with her hands to keep him from getting her hands down on the mat.

"Come on, Ast; I know I taught you how to get out of this…" Hiccup pushed. Astrid knew she couldn't push Hiccup back; he was too strong for her, but she did remember what Hiccup told her about fighting someone stronger than herself. Astrid let her arms drop causing Hiccup to lose his balance and fall forward. Astrid brought her head up to bang into Hiccup's; then she adjusted her leg to wrap around Hiccup's and flip him down under her, quickly pinning his hands above his head. Astrid was panting as she stared down at Hiccup, who was breathing hard too. "Good girl," he smiled.

"I-I did it right?" Astrid asked, still not letting up on him.

"Nailed it," Hiccup nodded. "You remembered what I told you about not fighting it, but using it to your advantage," he added. "And well done on the reversal,"

"Now what. Should I get off you, or are you gonna surprise me again?" Astrid asked.

"Oh, I'd love for you to get me off," Hiccup teased. Astrid's cheeks lit up red as she brought her knee up and got him between the legs until he forced her back and curled up a bit.

"Pervert!" Astrid screeched.

"Worth…It…" Hiccup managed as Astrid backed up and folded her arms over her chest with a huff at Hiccup, who laughed a little. As soon as she turned her head from him, but Hiccup kicked out his legs to knock Astrid on her butt before he threw his leg over her and pinned her down. "And that's called tricking your opponent. What did I just teach you? Never underestimate who you fight…There's a bunch of perverts out there who would pull the same move, and some guys will take a shot to the nuts to get out of a pin and turn it back on you,"

Astrid sighed. "I'm never gonna get this…" she closed her eyes.

"You did have it, Ast," Hiccup chuckled as she looked at him. "You did a great job and pinned me the way I taught you. But I figured I'd take the chance to show you that there are some sneaky moves males will pull. But you still executed the main objective. A knee to the nuts is only going to subdue a guy temporarily; your best bet is to use that, then just punch to knock out or back up out of kick range and run,"

"I'll remember that," Astrid nodded with a smile as Hiccup let up on her arms. Astrid sat up a bit as Hiccup went to get up, then suddenly she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled Hiccup down so their lips would meet in a kiss. Hiccup's eyes widened, but he ended up kissing her back. The two made out for a few seconds before the friends saw Hiccup's arms move to hold her waist; then Astrid's leg lock around Hiccup's and flip him over onto his back, now straddling his hips and holding his arms at his sides with her knees. Astrid pulled back with a triumphant grin.

"Oh, you sly little bitch…" Hiccup muttered as Astrid giggled.

"You said to use my opponent's weaknesses to my advantage, didn't you?" Astrid asked. Hiccup flopped back and stared up at her.

"That might be the first time I've ever seen that used in combat, but you know what…I ain't gonna knock it because you managed to distract and overpower me. That was pretty crafty, Ast," Hiccup congratulated as Astrid got off him; then allowed Hiccup to get up. "I think we'll call it a day; you did good,"

"So, no more training?" Astrid asked.

"Well, not today, no. But there is more to work on. While kissing your opponent into submission works on me; it may only fire up another guy to take advantage, which would make your situation more dangerous…So I wouldn't advise you ever to use that on an attacker," Hiccup informed calmly as he started putting things away without looking at the group.

"What's wrong? You seem upset?" Heather asked. Astrid hadn't noticed it until Heather said something, but Hiccup's mood did seem to alter a bit after the whole kiss scene.

"I'm fine," Hiccup replied. Astrid moved closer and hand out to stop him; Astrid saw his eyes and stared at him with concern.

"Hiccup? Is something wrong?" Astrid inquired.

"We'll talk about it later when we're alone," Hiccup stated quietly before moving past her to finish cleaning up, then he got his necklace from Dagur. Astrid didn't understand, but she figured she would later on apparently. "Alright, what does everyone wanna do?"

"Game?" Tuffnut shrugged.

"Sure," Hiccup said as they exited the weight room and went to the Gamer's Paradise to hang out for a bit.

 **. . .**

 _ **{8:30 pm}**_

The friends hung out and had dinner with the Haddocks until 8:15 pm before going to their homes. Runa was sleeping, Gobber was out with some old army buds, and Stoick and Valka were in their offices working. Hiccup was in his Sitting Room, staring out into the backyard while leaning on his small balcony. Astrid was in her were, confused about whatever she and Hiccup needed to talk about. Finally, she received a text and checked her phone.

 **Hic's Cell[8:31 pm]  
** _ **Will u join me to talk? I'm in my sitting room.**_

Astrid took a deep breath as she got up and exited her room to get to Hiccup's sitting/library room. Reaching the doors; she knocked. "Hiccup?"

"Come in, Astrid," Hiccup replied. Astrid opened the door and headed inside to see Hiccup staring outside quietly. Hiccup stood up and turned to face her, then motioned for her to come over and join him. Astrid did so as the two looked out silently. "I take it you don't know why I wanted to talk?"

"Not a clue," Astrid said softly.

"It's about the kiss earlier," Hiccup responded.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that…" Astrid looked down a bit.

"I'm…Impressed that you thought of something like that to reverse a pin, but like I said; it might not be a good idea against someone else who has the intention of doing whatever it takes to make you do what they want," Hiccup informed gently.

"I understand," Astrid nodded.

"The second problem I had with that move is that it didn't feel right. When we kissed, I mean," Hiccup stated as Astrid looked at him fast. "Now…Hang on; don't take it the way it sounded…I just mean that it feels wrong for us to kiss when we aren't a couple…"

"O-Oh," Astrid blushed a bit. "You're saying that we probably shouldn't be kissing?"

"Actually…That's not what I'm saying at all," Hiccup remarked, raising Astrid's curiosity. "Look. I've enjoyed all the kisses we've shared, and…I want to keep doing it without feeling as if it's wrong," Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "What I'm trying to get at here is that I-I want to be with you, Astrid,"

"B-But you said you weren't ready to move on yet?" Astrid reminded.

"Olivia will always have a place in my heart, Astrid. But if my feelings for you have come back; then I think that's my heart telling me to move on, so I'm not going to fight it. I know Liv would want me to be happy, and she knew about you and the feelings I had for you before she came into my life. Oddly enough, Liv always believed that you and I might make it back to one another, and here we are. What I'm saying is that I like you a lot. I don't know if I love you or if this will even last…I mean, I hope it does, but for now…I want to be with you and see where this goes between us; how deep these feelings run, and I think the only way to find that is to be together. That is…If you want the same?" Hiccup looked at Astrid now.

"If you're asking me if I'll be your girlfriend, Hiccup…" Astrid began as Hiccup got nervous, but then Astrid smiled at him. "Then my answer is yes, but I think we should keep it on the down low for now? Things are a bit crazy, and it's still new to us after all,"

"I was just going to suggest that," Hiccup replied. "We won't tell anyone, for now,"

"Sounds good," Astrid nodded. Hiccup smiled as he took her hand and pulled her against him. "Are we allowed to kiss now?" Astrid giggled a bit.

"I think it's acceptable and appropriate now that we're boyfriend and girlfriend," Hiccup chuckled as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers; then Astrid returned the action as the two remained there for a few seconds. Afterward; the kiss broke as they held one another and continued standing on the balcony.

"Should we mark today as the one we got together on?" Astrid wondered.

"Well, let's give it a bit since it's new. We're together, but let's not call it official dating yet," Hiccup suggested.

"More of a trial period to test the waters of us possibly being a long-term couple?" Astrid looked up at him.

"Exactly," Hiccup nodded.

"I'm cool with that. So…Test Dating," Astrid laughed a little. Hiccup kissed her again, then the two remained put, enjoying the moment together.

 **. . .**

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Sunday, May 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2022-11:15 am}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle; Archia Burger)**_

Around our friends; we acted like friends who had crushes on one another but never acting on our feelings. It's been three days since our unofficial get together as a couple. Friday night was spent with our small gang, but Saturday; Hiccup and I that we'd have a night just for us by watching a movie in the basement since Runa was with Maeva and Bard. During the day, when Hiccup's friends were over; we would text or take private moments together where we could hug, or share a quick kiss. Today, Hiccup and I were going to go to lunch together with our dragons, but first; he was called to handle something at our job, so here we were. I was sitting at one of the tables while Hiccup was in the back talking to Johann and Henrik about some matter that I didn't know the full details on.

There were a few customers in the building right now, and the workers had it under control. I was bored and hungry. I got a text on my phone and checked it.

 **Hic's Cell[11:17 pm]  
** _ **Almost dun. Be out in 5.**_

I smiled some and got up to use the bathroom while texting back.

 _You[11:18 pm]_  
 _K. Using bathroom & meet u in dining room._

I slipped the device away while entering the girl's room. I did my business and went to wash my hands afterward. My phone rang as I lifted it. "Hello?" I greeted.

" _Deliver the key to me, and you will be free,"_ a deep voice said.

"Ex-Excuse me?" I asked, a bit scared.

" _You have a possession of your father's that I require; a silver key. If you deliver it to me by Friday the 20_ _th_ _; I promise that no more harm will come to you anymore,"_ the male said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" I tried quickly, very confused. "I don't…Have any key,"

" _Oh, but you do; it's something you always have. I've been watching you for a while. You're living at Berkian Estates with the Haddocks, attending Archian Preparatory, and currently at Archia Burger with the Mayor's son. It would be a shame if something happened to them next,"_ the man retorted.

"Leave them alone!" I demanded, afraid.

 _"Give me what I want, or I will get them by force, which involves me hurting the people you care about until I get what I want. Understand? If you deliver; I promise on my life; everything stops. A car will be waiting on Friday. Give me what I want, and all of this ends. Oh, and I wouldn't tell anyone about this little chat…"_ the man stated as the call ended. I checked the caller; it was Restricted, of course. I didn't know what this guy was going on about, and even worse; I didn't know how to handle the current situation.


	62. Trust In Me

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Trust In Me

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, May 19, 2022- 12:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

I haven't been able to shake it since Sunday. The phone call from whoever it was, I'm assuming Drago Bludvist, had me rattled to the core with worry. And what was worse; tomorrow is Friday. The day this guy said he would have a car waiting to collect this key that I had no idea about. It was the truth; I didn't know what he wanted. I didn't have any key. Was this guy crazy? Well, that's a stupid question. Agent Haggard mentioned Drago wanted to take over the world, so yes; he was absolutely insane. However, this caller knew where I lived, went to school, and where I was at the moment he had called. And to make things scarier for me; this man threatened Hiccup's family. It's been days, and I have no idea what to do still. The male warned me not to tell anyone about the call, and since he knew all those things about my location…I had to assume he had people watching me. What choice did that leave me? Stay quiet? Tell whoever was in the car tomorrow that I didn't have the key? And yet, none of that made sense because Hiccup was never going to let me out of his sight. I had to tell him, didn't I?

I'm stressed about everything going on, so much in fact that I'm feeling sick. Or maybe I'm actually sick. I don't know anymore. It's Thursday; there was only one more day of Finals to go. Tomorrow, and that would be the Dragon Training ones. We two parts to it. The first was to do a written exam, and the second would be a physical portion to show calls, signals, training, and riding. Hiccup had been kind enough all this week to review things with us once more, a majority of what would be on the tests, but not even he knew exactly what would be given. Hiccup mentioned that it changed every year so there couldn't be any copying. Also, Hiccup wouldn't be doing this next year; Mr. Meatsen found someone to take over as long as Hiccup finished out this semester. I still had no idea what Hiccup was going to do career-wise now that he couldn't join the military. I had a feeling it would be Archia Burger, and maybe that's what the meeting on Sunday was about, but I didn't know.

It's lunchtime at school, and I'm barely paying attention. I know the rest are talking, but I'm just out of it and have a massive headache from trying to deal with Finals and figure everything else out.

"Astrid!" I heard Hiccup call my name. I shook my head some and looked at him.

"Hm?" I replied quickly.

"That is seriously the eighth time you've zoned out at lunch alone," Camicazi pointed out.

"Couple times in classes too," Hiccup added.

"You okay?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, I'm great," I smiled.

"And I'm the King of Denmark," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Come on, Ast; We've been friends for years; I know when you're lying," he mentioned. The sad part is that Hiccup isn't wrong. He's always known when something isn't right in a sense I'm not honest, or I'm hiding something. "What's going on?" he asked.

I sighed looking down a bit. "I guess I'm just not feeling well today,"

"Period coming?" Nadia asked.

"TMI," Snotlout remarked.

"Yeah, you girls keep that to yourselves," Thuggory added in.

"Screw you," I muttered. "And no…I finished that last week,"

"So what's bothering you then? Come on; you can tell me?" Hiccup moved his hand over to sit on top of mine under the table where the others couldn't see.

"Just feeling kind'a blah today," I glanced at him. "I'll be okay, don't worry," I offered a smile.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked. I nodded to him and reached for my water bottle to take a sip. Hiccup pulled his hand back and continued eating and talking with the others.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Training Field)**_

"Are we using our dragons for the exam?" Ragna wondered.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm going to be on the safe side and say no. It's different everywhere you go, but I believe the High School standards are that you can't use yours because you know how to train with them," Hiccup replied.

"And they know we'd pass using dragons we've worked with all year?" Eret stated.

"Correct. As I said; I'm not sure how they'll do it," Hiccup shrugged while scratching under Toothless's chin.

"What was it like when you tested?" Camicazi asked.

"And how did you manage to test so early? Fifteen, right?" Thuggory questioned.

"No, I bonded to Toothless at fifteen and spent a good amount of time figuring out dragon flight with the first model of the rig. A lot of test flights and crashing were involved in those few weeks," Hiccup chuckled a bit. "There was a lot of confusion and debates leading up to me taking the tests at sixteen. See, I got seen flying without an adult guide, also; it was the first public sighting of Toothless. As you can imagine; it was pretty crazy,"

"What happened?" Nadia inquired.

"Well, I didn't get into much trouble for flying without a guide; it was during one of the test flights, and I didn't think Toothless, and I had been seen since it was almost dark. People learning there was a Night Fury around, and it was bonded to me sparked a lot of interest. Moreso because Toothless had his prosthetic, so that brought on the Department of Dragon Affairs investigating. It involved doctors, checkups, so on and so forth. At first, no one believed we bonded, but when they saw how relaxed Toothless was with me, and how he protected me; no one could deny our bond. I was able to get a lot of information for them on Night Furies. The fact I trained Toothless with no prior knowledge of dragon training or bonding. I knew the aspects of dragon anatomy and his flight just by testing things out and following my gut. There was a lot of debate and arguing, but after showing them what I could do with Toothless; they decided to push it a bit farther," Hiccup explained.

"By putting you against other dragons?" Eret blinked.

"Well, they tested my knowledge of classifications. My mother is a dragon vet, so I knew most of the basics from volunteering at the shelter before I got my job at Archia Burger. I knew classifications, and the dragons in each. I was given a pre-test by the Dragon Affairs Department, something to see if I could see a dragon picture or name of one and give what class it belonged to. I scored perfect on it, and then they knew I could fly obviously. I mean, if I can control a prosthetic dragon tail to let Toothless fly; it stood to reason that I could fly any dragon that didn't have a handicap," Hiccup continued.

"So they just let you take the tests after all that?" I asked.

"Basically. No one has ever tested at sixteen; its usually eighteen or older. I had to train one dragon from each class. I had to work with wild dragons too; earning their trust, giving hand signals, knowing their roar, then finally flying. It was an all-day event, but I passed. Stoker Class was the only hard one that took the longest because I had to calm down a ticked off Nightmare, which is where I learned the horn trick you saw at the beginning of the year," Hiccup smiled.

"So you've had your Dragon Owner ID since fifteen, and the Trainer and Flier License since sixteen? Which goes for all dragons types?" Ragna stared.

Hiccup got out his wallet and showed them two cards. The first was his dragon ownership identification. It read top to bottom:

 **Dragon Ownership Identification**

 _[Picture of Toothless]_ **  
** _ **Dragon Information  
**_ _Name:_ Toothless  
 _Rider/Owner:_ Hiccup H. Haddock III  
 _Class:_ Strike  
 _Species:_ Night Fury  
 _Sex:_ Male

 _[Picture of Hiccup at 18]_ _ **  
Owner Information  
**_ _ID #: 10172015  
Name: _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III  
 _DOB:_ 2/29/2004  
 _ID Issue Date:_ September 2019  
 _Bonding Date:_ June 2019  
 _Sex:_ Male  
 _Dragon_ : Toothless-Male, Night Fury

The second card was around the same size as the other one reading basic information.

 _ **Department of Dragon Affairs  
**_ **Dragon Trainer/Flier License**

 _ **Licensee Information:  
Name: **_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third _ **  
License #:**_ 06172010  
 _ **Issue Date:**_ March 2020  
 _ **D.O.B:**_ February 29, 2004  
 _ **Residence:**_ Barbaric Archipelago  
 _ **Home Island:**_ Archia Isle  
 _ **Address:**_ 1 Alpha Drive, Raven Point Hills, Berk, 909209  
 _ **Allowances:**_ Dragon Training, Dragon Riding/Flying, Dragon Racing  
 _ **Specialized Class:**_ Strike  
 _ **Approved Classes:**_ Strike, Tracker, Sharp, Mystery, Tidal, Stoker, Boulder  
 _ **License Allowances:**_ Training, Wrangling, Racing, Flying, Racing  
 _ **Limitations:**_ None

"Woah…That's awesome…" Eret said. "Do we all get that?" he asked while Hiccup put the cards away.

"Depends on how well you do, and mind you that my license covers everything involving dragons. Yours may only be approved for training and flying your bonded dragons. I went out for it all," Hiccup stated. "For example, mine is labeled a Flier and Trainer license because I am allowed to train and fly any dragon. My allowances for this license is everything, and I'm approved to train any classification, but I specialize in Strike because of Toothless," he explained.

"So ours would probably just say Flier License?" I asked.

"Likely, yes. And it wouldn't have some of the things mine does. Yours will just say approved to train and fly your dragon, and limitations are kept to your bonded dragon only," Hiccup mentioned. Yeah, that made sense. I really wasn't feeling well now. "So, any other questions about tomorrow's exam?" he asked.

"Well, are you going to be the one giving it?" Snotlout wondered.

"I'll be present, but so will one of the workers from the Department of Dragon Affairs; it's protocol. However, they just sit back and observe everything. Tomorrow will be the longest of your testing because as you know; it's in two parts. You will get an hour and fifteen minutes on your written portion. I believe it's mostly multiple choice with a scantron sheet. Afterward; you'll get a short break before I start calling you individually for the second half, which is the physical bit," Hiccup informed.

"Each of you will get fifteen minutes to do whatever is asked for your physical portion. The ones who finish have to come sit with me and can't share with those who haven't gone yet," Dagur interjected.

"How soon until we know if we passed or not?" Ragna wondered.

"I will tell you personally before the school day is over," Hiccup enlightened. "Then within two to three weeks, you'll receive your licenses by mail. That's the other reason the person from the DDA comes. I give final grades and the information needed to have the licenses issued. You should all have them before or right after graduation,"

"What happens if we don't pass?" Fishlegs questioned.

"You will," Hiccup smiled. "You guys know your stuff; just don't get psyched out by the DDA representative, and pretend its another day in class," he offered. Stormfly came over and squawked by nuzzling against my arm after I closed my eyes and laid back against her. "Ast? You sure you're okay? I mean, even Stormfly is worried for you…" Hiccup asked.

"She looks pale," Heather frowned. Hiccup came over and checked my forehead; then cheek.

"And feels warm," Hiccup closed his eyes.

"I told you; I just don't feel good today," I sighed.

"How so? Tell me what's bothering you," Hiccup asked.

"Head and stomach hurt," I admitted.

"Maybe something you ate today?" Camicazi offered.

"Or stressing over Finals," Minden frowned.

"Guys…I'm good, seriously. I'll be okay once I get some sleep," I muttered. Hiccup sighed, and I knew he was bothered by the fact I wasn't completely honest. Hiccup always knew and technically I'm his girlfriend; we shouldn't have secrets. I guess I was just scared that if I talked about the call; it would get him or someone else I care about hurt.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The rest of the day was uneventful. Dragon Training ended, and everyone went home. I flew Stormfly next to Hiccup, who was on Toothless. Upon getting home; I went right to my room to get some sleep. There was only a couple of assignments to do and hand in tomorrow which would get calculated into our final grade along with the Finals scores; those would be out by Monday the 23rd, then students would have until the 30th for re-takes. Prom tickets were going on sale Friday the 27th; I wasn't sure if I was going or not. Eret and I aren't dating anymore, and Hiccup and I were keeping our relationship a secret for a bit. I suppose I could go with friends. Junior and Senior Proms are experiences you only get once, and part of the High School rite of passage or whatever. I went to Junior with Eret, so who knew what would happen for Senior. It wasn't my top concern right now.

My eyes opened to knocking on my door. I groaned a bit as I turned my head towards the source. "Yeah?" I called, ignoring the pounding in my head. I saw the door open as Hiccup walked in.

"Hey…How are you feeling?" Hiccup inquired quietly as he moved to the side of my bed.

"Little better," I admitted.

"You're still warm," Hiccup pointed out after checking my forehead. "It's dinner time, you coming?"

"I think I'll pass tonight, Hiccup…I haven't thrown up, and I'd like to keep it that way," I offered a smile.

"Alright," Hiccup leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I'll come to check on you after. Let me know if you need anything," I nodded to him as Hiccup exited the room and closed the door behind him. I sighed out and rolled over to my other side. I really should tell him the truth; I didn't want to lose him if he ended up finding out another way. Hiccup and I were together, and he's my protector; he needed to know about the call I got on Sunday. I would tell him later tonight and pray he didn't become furious with me. I closed my eyes and ended up falling back to sleep.

 _ **. . .**_

 _ **{8:15 pm}**_

Hiccup did come into my room around 6:20 pm to check on me, but I made it seem like I was sleeping. I felt him kiss my cheek gently; then leave the room again. I did manage to fall asleep until 7:50 pm, and then I woke up to use the bathroom and take another aspirin. I saw the time him 8:05 pm and knew I needed to talk to Hiccup. Maybe I'd feel better if I got this off my chest? It was worth a shot, and the right thing to do. I left the room and moved down the hall to Hiccup's; I stood before the door and took a breath before knocking a few times.

The door opened revealing Hiccup with a phone to his ear. "Hey, what's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something…" I admitted while playing with my fingers.

"Let me call you back," Hiccup said, then ended the call as he moved aside to let me into his room. Hiccup closed his door and followed behind.

"I-I hope I didn't interrupt anything important?" I said softly.

"It's nothing that I can't take care of later, so what did you want to talk about? Are you okay?" Hiccup asked as we sat on the edge of his bed.

"Hiccup…I got a call last Sunday while I was in the bathroom at Archia Burger, and I think it might have been Drago Bludvist…" I confessed with my head down.

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"I don't know if it was him; I didn't have anything to compare it to as I've never seen or heard the guy before. The call came up Restricted and only lasted about a minute, maybe a minute and thirty seconds," I went on.

"Astrid, why didn't you tell me about this right away? I'm your boyfriend, and bodyguard…You can't keep secrets like this, or it defeats the purpose of me protecting you; this guy is dangerous…" Hiccup reminded.

"I-I know…And I'm sorry; he just…scared me, and I didn't know what to do…" I replied. Hiccup sighed.

"Tell me how the call went, and don't leave anything out," Hiccup asked. I took a breath and explained everything to him as best as I could.

"And that was it…He said a car would be waiting on Friday for me, and promised that all of this stopped if I gave him what he wanted," I finished. "I just…Don't know what he's talking about key-wise…"

"That doesn't matter. You won't be giving him anything because he's a liar and won't keep to his word. Whatever he promised; he won't deliver. Astrid, you heard what Agent Haggard said; this guy wants to take over the world. Nobody is safe if he gets whatever he's after and sees his plan through," Hiccup stated. "You said he told you not to tell anyone?"

"I think he's watching me or has people doing it for him. Hiccup, he knows I live here and where I go to school…Even that I was at Archia Burger with you during the call…" I said nervously.

"But what is going to do, Astrid? I'm with you all the time, and I'm sure he's gotten reports by his spotters or whatever that you're never alone and his people are getting beaten. It's to lure you out and away from me. Perhaps he does want this key from you, but it wouldn't have been as easy as giving him the key, and you're off the hook. People like Drago don't work that way," Hiccup muttered.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"First off, we're gonna call Spitelout or Hoark and tell them about this. Secondly; I assume we'll be trying to figure out what key he's after. The guy said it was something you have, and belonged to your father, so it must be something you collected from the house after the fire and have with you now," Hiccup informed as I nodded, understanding. "And lastly, Astrid…Don't ever keep information like this from me," he said as I looked at him. "Drago Bludvist is a madman with no conscience of mercy; that's what Hoark told us at the station. Astrid; he had your parents killed, and you attacked more than once since their deaths in November; he dangerous and after you, because you have what he needs. That makes you safe for the time being, but if he got what he wanted; he would probably kill you,"

"I-I know, and I'm sorry Hiccup…But he scared me by threatening to go after your family…A-And you…" I reminded sadly.

"My family is safe; he's just using it to get you to do what he wants; it's a mind game," Hiccup put his arm over me. "The only way to win is not to play. If anything else happens, Astrid; you bring it to me immediately from now on. Okay? I promise you we'll catch this guy and get justice for your parents while keeping you safe as we do it,"

"I won't keep anything else from you," I replied.

"Good," Hiccup lifted my chin and kissed me lightly; then he got up and lifted his phone. "Agent Haggard? It's Hiccup Haddock. I know it's past office hours, but your target made contact," there was a pause. "How about tomorrow at 3:30?" he suggested. "Done. See you then," Hiccup ended the call. "We meet with Hoark tomorrow after school, so you can tell him everything. Spitelout will be there too, and possibly Alvin,"

"Is this going to be over soon?" I asked.

"That depends on how much more information you keep; we could have had this matter in the works already if ya told me you were called last Sunday…" Hiccup reminded as I frowned. "I know he scared you, but keeping information puts you in more danger. I need to know about these kinds of things, alright? Astrid, I know this is hard…But you have to believe that everything is under control, and you are safe no matter what. Okay? Trust in me when I tell you that,"

"I trust you," I responded. Hiccup hugged me tightly, and we kissed again.

"Go get some sleep; you're still warm," Hiccup suggested. However, I was scared to go back to the room knowing I talked about the call. What if they came after me? "You're scared to sleep alone, aren't you?" I nodded to him. "Want to sleep in here tonight?"

"Y-You wouldn't mind?" I asked.

"If it makes you feel safer, babe. I can pull out the couch, and you can take the bed," Hiccup suggested.

"I'm not taking your bed, Hiccup…" I sighed.

"We can share if you want; it's big enough. I just don't want to make you uncomfortable," Hiccup shrugged.

"I think I'm more comfortable next to you after all this anyway," I admitted.

"Well, get your stuff to spend the night in here then," Hiccup informed. I kissed his cheek and hurried to my room to get my pajamas; then back into Hiccup's. I used the bathroom and laid in his bed afterward. "I've got a couple things to do before I sleep, but I can see you the whole time and won't be out of the room, okay? Get some sleep," I nodded and yawned. Hiccup kissed my forehead; then he went down the hall after turned out the bedroom lights for me. I smiled as I drifted off feeling safer and better now that I'd told him about the call. Hiccup set me at ease, and I absolutely trusted him that everything was under control and I was safe.


	63. Can Hardly Wait

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Can Hardly Wait

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, May 20, 2022-2:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

It had been one hell of a day, but Finals were finally over. Today ended Finals Week; the last test had been taken, which was Dragon Training. The exams were taken in the morning at 10:30 am, at least the first half was; then there was an hour break for lunch at the normal time. The second half began at 1:00 pm. One by one, each of the friends had their one on one test session with Hiccup. Those who finished went to sit with Dagur in the stables while those who waited just sat around waiting to be called. It was nerve-wracking to have the DDA representative just sitting and staring at each student while they tested, but they all kept their focus on the task at hand. By 2:15 pm, the friends were done, and Hiccup started going over grades right away. There were two parts to this as well. The written grade, then the physical portion one. Hiccup would grade them separately, then add together and divide by two in order to get their final class grade. In order for them to pass; they had to have seventy or higher as the overall grade.

The written exam had one hundred questions, where the correct answers were worth one point each. The number wrong would be out of one hundred, and that would be that grade. The physical portion was done out of one hundred too, but the segments were graded with a number one through ten. The goal would be to get a ten on each, but nobody knew how they did yet as Hiccup was still grading and had promised they'd have their final scores by 3 pm. The scantron sheets were easy to grade; it went through a machine. The physical part took the longest due to all the adding up that needed to be done. There was fifteen minuted left of class, and Hiccup was in his office that was inside the stables while Dagur watched the students. Hiccup came out with his grade book at his side with the DDA representative beside him.

"I'll get these submitted right away, Mr. Haddock. And it was a pleasure working with you again," the female smiled, shaking Hiccup's hand.

"You as well," Hiccup replied as the woman left the field with her briefcase.

"You know her?" Astrid inquired.

"She was one of the people who took part in testing me a couple years ago," Hiccup informed with a smile.

"Ah. So…How did we do?" Camicazi asked.

"Well, do you want to each come individually to see or want me to go down the list?" Hiccup questioned.

"Did any of us fail?" Eret asked.

"You had me as your teacher, of course none of you failed," Hiccup chuckled.

"True. Okay, yeah. Just give them to us," Heather smiled.

"I'll give you your finals. You're welcome to check what each segment was graded after," Hiccup said. "Heather Bazirk, ninety-three. Nadia Warrier, eighty-six. Snotlout Jorgenson, seventy-eight. Ragna Falk, seventy-seven. Thuggory Meatsen, eighty-eight. Camicazi Boggs, eighty. Minden Guarder, eighty-six. Fishlegs Ingerman, ninety-six. Ruffnut Thorston, seventy-three. Eret Trapp, eighty-three. Tuffnut Thorston, seventy-one. And lastly…Astrid Hofferson…I'm actually very surprised…" Hiccup trailed off looking at her.

"Y-You said no one failed…" Astrid muttered.

"Oh, you passed. I just didn't think you'd beat Fishlegs," Hiccup smiled.

"What?" everyone's mouths dropped open.

"Astrid Hofferson, your final grade for Dragon Training is a one hundred," Hiccup stated as Astrid's eyes widened.

"I scored a one hundred?!" Astrid gaped.

"Yes, you did. Congratulations, Milady," Hiccup nodded. "Well done, all of you," he directed to the rest. "You're all officially Dragon Training graduates, and can fly freely without a licensed guide with you. I have temporary ID's that the Dragon Affairs rep signed off on before she left. I'll fill them out and give them to you later tonight at the sleepover. But for now, here's a little piece that says you can fly; signed by me as your trainer that you passed and awaiting your documents in the mail," Hiccup stated as he began passing out the small paper card with their name, dragon, and a small certification that says they passed dragon training and can legally fly.

"What time should we come over tonight? Or just follow you home?" Snotlout asked.

"Astrid and I have a few things to do first, but we'll text you when to come," Hiccup remarked. The others nodded as the bell rang to dismiss them. "Let's go, Ast," Hiccup motioned as he cleaned up a few things, then mounted Toothless. Astrid gathered her bag up and got on Stormfly; seconds later they were gone and headed for the AIB building in the city.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Archipelago Bureau of Investigation)**_

After an hour of talking and explaining the call; Spitelout, Hoark, and Hiccup were putting their heads together to figure out what these two silver keys were.

"I'm telling you; I never picked up any keys when I grabbed salvageable things from my house…" Astrid said again.

"You had to have grabbed something, or you wouldn't be getting targeted, Ast," Hiccup sighed. "Are you sure? Think hard about everything you have collected from your old house. The guy, assumingly Drago, said it was something you always have…" he tried.

The men sighed. "I'm sorry. I wish I could be more help, but I just don't have anything that would be a set of keys…" Astrid looked down as she fiddled with a heart-shaped pendant that hung from around her neck while Hoark and Spitelout were talking. Hiccup's eyes flicked to the silver heart in her hands; then he lifted his head a bit to stare at it more.

"We can check the house again?" Spitelout offered.

"What good does that do when we don't know what we're looking for?" Hoark mumbled. "We have to assume Drago has whatever the keys open, and that's why he needs her," he added.

 _Viggo and Ryker said that Drago was after Dragon Eye, but it was lost centuries ago. Colden was working on locating it, but the project was kept secret to very few people. The files were with Colden, so where did they end up after he died; the man wouldn't have left them lying around to get found. I bet they are in the Mayor's Office. However, Viggo and Ryker also said that the key to finding it was with Astrid._ Hiccup thought, revisiting the meeting he had with Viggo and Ryker about the matter. _Something she always has…_ Hiccup continued pondering while looking at the silver pendant Astrid was playing with.

"So Drago is after two silver keys. If he needs both; then this must be something with a lot of security," Spitelout stated, then stopped and saw Hiccup's face. "What's on your mind, boy?"

Hiccup heard him but never answered. "Astrid, can I see that a second?"

"Hm? What? My pendant?" Astrid blinked. Hiccup nodded to her as Astrid carefully took it off and handed it to him.

"How long have you had this?" Hiccup questioned.

"Since I was five. My dad gave it to me as a birthday gift, and told me that as long as I wore it; they'd always be with me no matter the distance; I've…Never taken it off," Astrid explained. Hiccup inspected the pendant carefully, then pulled out his jackknife and flicked open the blade and set it on the side before pushing it in a bit, then turning it until the heart split open.

"Did you know this was a locket, Astrid?" Hiccup glanced at her.

"No, actually…" Astrid replied. Hiccup opened the locket more to see a picture of Astrid's parents holding her a newborn, and on the other side was an engraving.

"Astrid Hofferson. 3-9-04. Family Is The Key To Happiness. With you near or far, always and forever. Love, Mom & Dad," Hiccup read as Astrid felt tears well up in her eyes. Hoark handed Astrid a tissue or two. Hiccup closed it up and put it around Astrid's neck for her. It didn't make sense to Hiccup; he thought the necklace might lead him to a key or another clue, but it didn't give much more than a memory to Astrid with her parents.

"Why don't you two head back to the house while we figure more of this out. We'll call if we get any leads," Spitelout told the teenagers. "Keep your guard up; Drago ain't gonna be happy that Astrid was at the school whenever this car came to collect the key from her. And we've downloaded the information from the call; if he calls again…We'll get a hit on it and hopefully be able to trace it."

"Got it," Hiccup nodded as he helped Astrid up and the two of them left the office.

"Should I text the others to join us?" Astrid inquired.

"Yeah, go ahead," Hiccup informed as they mounted their dragons. Astrid sent the text to the others; then she and Hiccup began their flight to Haddock Manor.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Reaching the Haddock house; the friends were already there and inside waiting in the Great Room with Stoick and Valka.

"Hey, welcome back," Heather greeted.

"Hi," Astrid smiled.

"So, we ready to start the Friday night festivities?" Tuffnut asked. A cell phone ringing caught them off guard as Hiccup lifted his to his ear.

"Speak," Hiccup answered. A pause. "Understood," he stated, then ended the call.

"What was that all about?" Dagur asked.

"Business," Hiccup replied while sending a text message, then put his phone away. "Come on; lets set up for the night," he smiled broadly. Astrid eyes him carefully, knowing that he was hiding something. What kind of business call started and ended in less than twenty seconds? Without anyone else questioning what the call was about; Hiccup led everyone to the basement to begin their sleepover routine, which was games, chatting, dinner, more talking, games, and jokes until they started falling asleep between 11:30 pm and 2 am.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:15 pm}**_

Thirty minutes later, everyone was set downstairs, and the gaming and talking had begun. Hiccup worked on their temporary ID card off to the side and was mostly quiet while doing the work and texting someone an awful lot. Astrid moved closer to him, smiling.

"Hey, need any help?" Astrid offered.

"Nope, just finished actually," Hiccup smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," Astrid replied. "What was that call about earlier?"

"Just some stuff for work. I may not be on my feet all day, but I do paperwork and stuff," Hiccup responded softly.

"You plan to go back to Archia Burger?" Astrid wondered.

"I might go after High School since I can't join the army now. I'm still getting used to the leg, and can't handle standing on it too long still; that's why I have returned to work full-time yet," Hiccup explained. "How about you? Coming back with me?"

"Someone has to keep you out of trouble," Astrid giggled.

"I think you have that backward. Who is protecting who right now?" Hiccup challenged.

"Well, you trained me in what you know. If you get into a fight; maybe I can help you," Astrid remarked.

"Oh, no. You're staying out of the fights. I taught you all that for emergency situations where everyone got put at a standstill," Hiccup reminded.

"And what if I'm alone?" Astrid leaned closer.

"You'll never be alone as long as I'm alive," Hiccup said as he moved in more. "And no matter what we are; I'll always have your back," he added before giving her a quick kiss before anyone noticed it. Astrid blushed a bit before backing up and nodding to him. "Go on; I'll join in a second after I use the bathroom," he nudged.

"Okay," Astrid answered as she went to sit with their friends again. Hiccup got up and moved past everyone while nearing the bathroom, but he took a hard right and went down the hall to the storage rooms. Once inside; he locked the door and flipped on the light. Hiccup pulled his phone out and redialed Viggo.

"You find out what I asked for?" Hiccup asked.

" _Drago has the safe; it was in the Mayor's office. He needs the key Colden's daughter has,"_ Viggo replied.

"How did he get the safe?" Hiccup inquired.

" _My brother needs to learn to be more direct. We have the safe as we were sent to recover it from the Mayor's office. Don't worry; nothing will get flagged as taken or a break in. The safe was in a trap door under a carpet tile of the coat closet,"_ Ryker clarified.

" _And you need the key to access anything in it, right? Does Drago know you have the safe?"_ Hiccup questioned.

" _No. The mission was scheduled for tonight, but my brother and I got in undercover as journalists for the Archian Gazette. I did the interview while Ryker scavenged the office in secrecy; I got your dad for twenty minutes,"_ Viggo informed.

" _Do you want us to bring it to you; we can say it wasn't there,"_ Ryker added.

"If he was sending you to get it; he knew it was there. Giving it to me will only make him suspicious, and I don't need your cover blown; we're too invested. No, here's what I want you to do…Until tomorrow when you're supposed to get it for him; keep it hidden. I want you to send me a video showing me every angle of that safe," Hiccup said.

" _What does this accomplish? These documents hold the location of the Dragon Eye…Why do you want Drago having that information!?"_ Viggo informed.

"I hired you to go undercover for me, not question my methods. Just send the video, and wait for my message. I will text you before midnight with the next set of instructions," Hiccup said.

" _Yes, sir. I'm sorry. And will do on your orders,"_ Viggo responded.

"Good. I'll be waiting on your video then," Hiccup stated. The call ended as Hiccup slid the phone away into his pocket; then snuck out to get into the bathroom before he was seen by the others. A few minutes later; Hiccup came out and grabbed the cards off the table where he left them.

"Are those our cards?" Thuggory asked.

"Yep. Temporary dragon trainer licenses. They have your name, address, birthdate, issue date, allowances, and limitations. You're allowed to ride and train your dragon, and you have no fly limits. And remember you can go out for a full license if you want, but that's your call," Hiccup smiled while handing them out to the person the card matched. "You guys earned 'em," he added.

"We had a good teacher," Nadia reminded.

"Come join in with us," Snotlout handed him a controller. Hiccup plopped into his recliner chair and started playing a few rounds. Astrid watched Hiccup keep checking his phone as if he were waiting for something. Astrid knew Hiccup was hiding something; she just didn't know what. The time ticked by as Hiccup handed the controller off when he got whatever message he was waiting for at 6:05 pm. Hiccup seemed to stare at his screen for a while, studying it almost.

At 6:15 pm; Hiccup noticed something strange and paused the video as he made it bigger. _It looks like two hearts side by_ side. Then his eyes glanced over to the pendant on Astrid's necklace. Finally; it clicked. Astrid's necklace was a locket that opened up and reveals two hearts! Her pendant was the key! _My theory was right! Colden must have known people might go after him for the Dragon Eye project, so he had the key to open the safe, but Astrid's necklace is the fail-safe because she never takes it off so it can't get misplaced or stolen. To anyone else; it's just a pendant, not a locket. Drago must think Astrid has the key because she got to take things from the house after the fire. And Astrid doesn't even realize it…_ Hiccup thought. Hiccup got his phone and brought up his messages with Viggo and Ryker.

 _You[6:18 pm]  
Bring the safe to me. We'll meet at midnight, a mile into the woods behind my house._

Hiccup saw the message be delivered, then read at 6:20 pm. By 6:21 pm; a response was being typed by Ryker.

 **Ryker G. Cell[6:22 pm]  
** _ **Got it.**_

"Dinner!" Gobber called through the speaker on the wall. Hiccup got up and pressed the button.

"On our way up," Hiccup replied. The group made their way upstairs to eat supper as Hiccup continued thinking about his plan to deal with tonight. His biggest problem; getting Astrid's pendant from her for the night.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:00 pm}**_

"So…Minden…I was wondering if you'd maybe wanna go to prom with me?" Snotlout asked, which pulled Hiccup from his thoughts.

"I'd love to, Snotlout," Minden smiled bashfully.

"Who else is going?" Nadia wondered.

"We are," Camicazi said while holding Thuggory's hand.

"I'll be there chaperoning with Mala," Dagur chuckled.

"You mean to keep an eye on Fishlegs and me," Heather rolled her eyes.

"He touches you, and he's dead…" Dagur glared as Fishlegs gulped and nodded to Heather's older brother.

"I'm going with Ragna…" Tuffnut announced.

"Wait…Weren't you, Eret, and Ragna a thing?" Astrid blinked.

"Well, we…Kind'a broke up, but staying friends. I'm actually going with Ruffnut to prom," Eret confessed. "I asked her at the start of Finals Week,"

"What about you, Nadia?" Ruffnut wondered.

"Going single, and see what happens while I'm there," Nadia grinned.

"What about you, Hiccup?" Ragna smiled.

"Psh; he won't go to Prom," Snotlout rolled his eyes. Astrid blinked a bit; Hiccup wouldn't? Why? "He didn't even go to Junior Prom,"

"Wait, really? It's like a High School rite of passage!" Astrid exclaimed quickly.

"Um, I'd like to clarify that I was a bit busy with a newborn during that time!" Hiccup grumbled.

"Oh, yeah…Keep forgetting Runa was born in June instead of July…And you were with Olivia, who couldn't attend our prom because she wasn't a student there," Fishlegs remembered.

"You mean a bit busy with Olivia while Runa slept…" Tuffnut chuckled with Dagur and Snotlout. Hiccup grabbed his show and chucked it at Tuffnut's head as he held his nose. "OW! I am hurt. I am very much hurt!" he whined.

"How'd you even make that shot in the dark?" Thuggory asked.

"I have a good aim…" Hiccup muttered.

"It wasn't untrue!" Tuffnut complained.

"Uh huh…" Hiccup looked the other way. "First off; it was my business…And secondly; don't be jealous that I got more action than you did that night," the teenager smirked.

"Hey; he would have gotten laid too if he didn't forget the condoms at home," Ruffnut defended.

"Dude, what's wrong with you? Condoms stay in your car or wallet," Snotlout shook his head.

"Rookie move," Dagur snickered. Tuffnut mumbled, ignoring them.

"Yeah, well since we know Mr. No Fun over there isn't going…What about you Astrid? You going?" Heather giggled.

"That's actually up to Mr. No Fun; he's my bodyguard, remember?" Astrid stated softly.

"If you'd like to go to prom, Astrid; then I will be happy to go as your escort," Hiccup informed. "Come on, you didn't think I'd let a small detail such being your protector get in the way or your rite of passage or whatever, did you?" he laughed a little.

"Oh, yeah; I'm sure it won't look weird at all with you just leaning against the wall watching me from the shadows. I can already hear the police sirens with Spitelout and Alvin showing up to arrest a creeper, then learn it's just you…" Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Well, then perhaps I should go as something a little less stalkerish," Hiccup offered.

"And that would be?" Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

"How about as your date?" Hiccup grinned. Astrid's eyes widened a bit.

"Wa-Was that your way of asking me to prom?" Astrid inquired.

"Is that your way of accepting my offer to go with me?" Hiccup leaned in a bit more as Astrid blushed. "I'll take your red face and stunned silence as a yes. So, I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs on June 3rd then?"

"Oh, you think that because your so smooth and I blushed my answer is yes, do you?" Astrid huffed.

"I didn't hear you say no," Hiccup grinned a bit. "Shall we say 5:30 pm at the bottom of the stairs?" Hiccup asked.

"It's a date," Astrid replied, though; she was smiling. Hiccup basically asked her to prom in his own way. Now, she could hardly wait for June 3rd to come.


	64. Next Week

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Next Week

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, May 26, 2022-9 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup was hiding something for sure. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was big. Last week, Hiccup seemed ridiculously busy with _work_. That's what Hiccup kept saying at least. Every call or text he got when all of our friends were together; he said he was dealing with work. I knew it could be possible; Hiccup's position at Archia Burger was that of a General Manager. I guess Hiccup could be doing paperwork and whatnot since he didn't feel his leg was ready for standing up during long shifts. I understood, and the only reason I wasn't back to work is that I doubt it's safe unless Hiccup is there. I knew I'd be okay during a shift; there were coworkers and cameras everywhere. And I could text Hiccup when my shift ended, that way we could fly back to his house together. I guess things are just easier this way. I could hold off on working until this Drago situation was taken care of, or at least High School was over. But back to Hiccup hiding something; I was convinced ever since last week when he asked me to the senior prom.

Hiccup had been taking calls, texting, and being distracted most of the night until prom came up when Snotlout asked Minden to go with him; then the conversation went in that direction. I had planned not to go to prom; there wasn't a point if Hiccup wasn't going to go, and I knew that was a night asking to get attacked or kidnapped if I went by myself. I was shocked to learn Hiccup never went to Junior Prom, though. It made sense once he mentioned that Runa was a newborn; I had forgotten about that. Maybe Hiccup asked me to prom because he realized I wanted to go, but wouldn't without him. Or he asked because we're test dating and knew prom was a big thing in high school. Who knew? I was glad to be going with him. Tickets were going on sale tomorrow, and I hope Hiccup remembered since he's been distracted all week. I had no idea what it was about.

Last week, Hiccup at the sleepover disappeared for a few hours after midnight. I didn't know where he went, but I saw him get up and leave the basement. Something else that was weird; my necklace was missing the next morning. I didn't realize it until I went to shower, but I fell asleep with it around 12:20 am. I only know Hiccup was gone a while because I heard Dagur ask Hiccup where he went, and Hiccup said he had to take care of something with Runa, who was staying with the Holgersons. I knocked out again after that; then I woke up at 7 am and went to shower to wake up more, and the pendant was going. I told Hiccup, and he said he would look while I showered. When I got out fifteen minutes later, Hiccup said it was under the pillow in his spare room from the sleepover, since the girls and I slept in there while the guys were in the Gamer's Paradise. Hiccup said he located it when he was making up the bed. I was relieved, and Hiccup put it back on me saying that it might be a good idea to get a new chain because mine was warped, which is why it probably came off while I was sleeping.

The rest of the weekend was quiet; Hiccup ended up with a migraine around lunchtime on Saturday, so our friends left, and I went to relax a bit in my room while Hiccup went to rest in the darkness of his room. I never saw him for dinner, but he did pop out around 9:30 pm to say goodnight to me, and maybe Sunday we could have a picnic together at the park. And when Sunday came; that's what we did. Hiccup said his head still hurt, but it was more of a headache than a migraine. Monday, the 23rd brought us back to school to get final grades for our classes. However, there had been some computer problem, and it wasn't ready until Wednesday for us to view. I passed with two A, a few B's, and a C for Senior Year, but all that meant to me was that I was set to graduate June 18th. In fact, all our friends were. Hiccup passed with all A's, and yet, I didn't expect anything less. Graduation preparation would start May 30th with fittings for cap and gown; then ordering them.

Seniors would get Friday, the 3rd off for prom, and if one of the seniors had a date who was an underclassman; that student could miss school too as long as they had a note from their parents turned in by the 2nd of June. The girls and I have been prom dress shopping, but I haven't bought mine yet. The one I wanted wasn't in stock, so I ordered it, and it would be here sometime next week but before Friday. Hiccup mentioned something about us celebrating that High School was over for us; there were just the small details to handle such as prom and graduation. After June 18th; we never had to step foot in Archian Prep again. Hiccup said there would be a big graduation party too; he would be throwing it. So that was exciting, all of this was. But I still worried about my boyfriend. Hiccup has been secretive, and I don't like it.

All this week; he's been quiet and working on something in his room at night. It would start at 9 pm, and I wouldn't see him the rest of the evening. I knew he was up to something. All Hiccup tells me is that it's for me, and not to worry because it will make sense soon. Also, Hiccup asked me to trust him, and I said I did. I guess I needed to stick to that and not go back on my word. Right now, Hiccup's in his room because it's 9 pm and he said he wasn't feeling well. I guess I can buy it because his mother did say he felt warm after dinner at 6:15 pm. So, I'm relaxing in my room and will probably fall asleep shortly.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{9:15 pm}**_

Hiccup groaned a bit as he flopped his head down on his arm while sitting at his desk.

"None of these maps make any sense…" Hiccup sighed. _But at least I have the upper hand in locating the Dragon Eye since Drago didn't have access to opening the safe._ Hiccup thought.

Last week, Hiccup got Astrid's locket from her while she was fast asleep; then met Viggo and Ryker in the woods behind his house. Hiccup used the locket to open the safe and get high-quality pictures of everything inside. Hiccup locked the safe once more and instructed the Grimborn brothers to give it to Drago. Hiccup sent them off while he got inside and uploaded everything to his computer and placed it in an encrypted file to study, which has been what he's working on every night this week. Hiccup was determined to find the Dragon Eye.

If he did, though; Hiccup had no idea what he'd do with it. Hand it over to Agent Haggard? Destroy it? Hiccup didn't know. All that mattered first was finding it. Hiccup lifted his head once more, going over things. By 9:45 pm, Hiccup was ready to call it a night. His phone vibrated as he lifted it and checked the caller ID. It was Viggo.

"Yeah?" Hiccup asked.

" _Any luck deciphering those maps?"_ Viggo inquired.

"Not really, no," Hiccup stated. "A lot of symbols that I'm not sure about, and there isn't much history on them,"

" _We're not sure if it will help, but it's rumored the Dragon Eye was constructed and belonged to the Dragon Hunters back in Viking times,"_ Viggo informed.

"Yeah, I don't know how that helps me," Hiccup muttered.

" _No, but this might. The Chief of the Hunters sailed on a ship called the Reaper. We only know this because my brother and I derive from the Dragon Hunter tribe; it's in our family history. After seeing some of the maps when you were taking pictures; we recognized a couple things, so we decided to dig through our family notes that have been passed down. The last known location of the Reaper is in the Ship Graveyard,"_ Ryker added.

" _I'm sending you the symbol on the flag,"_ Viggo interjected. Hiccup got a picture message and opened it; then his eyes fell on the map.

"Northeast of here. I'll go check it out. Thanks, guys," Hiccup said.

" _Hiccup…Be careful. Those ships are ridiculously boobie-trapped…"_ Ryker warned.

"Understood. Appreciate the lead to follow," Hiccup said, then ended the call as he got up and headed out of his room once he shut the lights off. Hiccup rushed to the stables and saddled Toothless to depart, seconds later; they were gone heading Northeast from Berk.

 **. . .**

 _ **{10:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Ship Graveyard)**_

"Man, that's a lot of ships…" Hiccup paled at the sight. "But we only need the one that matches this…" he added while checking the image on his phone again. Hiccup scanned the area and spotted it after a few moments. "There," Hiccup pointed with a smile. Toothless headed forward carefully and landed on the deck; then Hiccup got off his Night Fury. "Be on guard, bud," Toothless warbled in response as the two began walking around.

"Now…If I were a Dragon Hunter with an object that could tell me anything I wanted to know about dragons in the Viking Era; I'd be keeping it in a place that no one else would enter. That would probably be the Captains Quarters…" Hiccup thought out loud as he motioned to Toothless to follow him while they made their way inside the ship and started going down the levels. After twenty minutes or so; Hiccup and Toothless reached the room they wanted. Finding it hadn't been easy with all the traps that Viggo and Ryker warned him would be hidden. Thank Odin for that much.

Hiccup opened the door and got inside slowly; it looked safe, but he knew better. Navigating through the traps was hard, but now at the desk of the captain; his skeleton was still there, and it creeped Hiccup out, but under his hand was a tub like object. Hiccup peered it over carefully. "This has gotta be it; the guy died with his hand on it…It's got a lens inside the dragon's mouth…" Hiccup whispered as he picked up the device slow and pulled it towards him. A giant ax dropped down where his hands had been. "Giant ax!" he got on Toothless's back. "Go, bud!" Hiccup tucked the Dragon Eye away in his saddle back as Toothless bolted them out of the ship avoiding spears and arrows coming out of the walls.

Once outside, Hiccup had Toothless hover while he inspected the Dragon Eye more. "I think we got it, pal. Come on, let's get home," Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head. With a roar of approval; Toothless darted back towards Berk.

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:10 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup put Toothless away in the stables as he made his way back inside the house and went to get to his room, tired and ready for bed. Hiccup had the side satchel on his shoulder while dragging his feet through the house.

"Hiccup?" Stoick's voice said.

"Dad? What are you doing up?" Hiccup asked while turning to get into the Great Room. Soon after he saw Astrid being comforted by Valka. Gobber, Alvin, and Spitelout were present as well. Astrid looked a little ruffed up, and Hiccup got worried as he immediately moved to her side. "What happened?"

"Someone broke into Astrid's room and took her necklace from her. No idea why," Gobber shrugged. "Happened around 11:15 when she was getting ready for bed,"

Astrid threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "I-I tried to get i-it back…But he was too strong," she sobbed.

"Hiccup, where have you been. And don't say sleeping because we checked your room at 11:30 pm," Spitelout asked firmly.

"I went flying with Toothless at 9:30 because I couldn't sleep," Hiccup informed.

"You said you didn't feel good," Valka reminded.

"And I still don't, but I couldn't sleep, and a late night flight usually fixes that. Didn't mean to be gone so long…Had a rough landing and Toothless's tail needed some replacement parts that I keep with me when we fly," Hiccup explained.

"We'll find who broke in; we've got security camera footage we can go over," Alvin assured.

"I just want my necklace…" Astrid whimpered.

"We'll get it back…Don't worry…" Hiccup held her close. "I promise…" he added. Hiccup should never have left; she was attacked as soon as he was gone. Drago must be watching her closely if he figured out her pendant was the key and waited to strike until Hiccup was gone. This was his fault, and he needed to make it right. Astrid treasured the locket, and Hiccup's carelessness caused her to be attacked and lose it in his absence to get the Dragon Eye before Drago pulled a stunt like this. Drago had the key to open the safe, but locating the Dragon Eye was useless since Hiccup had it now.

"We'll be in touch, Stoick," Alvin stated as he and Spitelout prepared to leave and Stoick went to lead them out.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Astrid asked.

"Of course," Hiccup replied as he looked at Gobber and Valka. "Goodnight," he said as he helped Astrid out of the room, then brought her upstairs to his room. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked once he helped her to sit on the bed.

"Nothing that needs a hospital…" Astrid sighed. "We scuffled a bit, but he got me in the side of the face, and I hit the ground hard. I was disorientated, and by the time I recovered; the guy was gone,"

"Did he say anything?" Hiccup inquired.

"Something about I should have just given Drago the key, and it wouldn't have come to this…" Astrid said.

"Did you tell Spitelout?" Hiccup inquired.

"Yeah, when he pulled me aside. Spitelout thinks that my locket must have been the key to whatever Drago wants to be opened, and he's going to tell Hoark in the morning. I-I'm probably never getting it back, am I?" Astrid wiped her eyes.

"Never say never, Milady…" Hiccup hugged her softly and kissed her forehead. "I shouldn't have gone flying. Drago's probably been watching you, and waiting for me to leave…I'm so stupid…I'm sorry…"

"Hiccup, you can't always be around to protect me…Come on; this guy broke into your house; a place shrouded with security and your parents right down the hall. And they only came in after I'd been slammed down because I yelled out in pain…Nobody knew what was happening until it was over," Astrid explained.

"I could have gone after the guy on Toothless…I could have made sure he didn't get away," Hiccup put his head down. Yeah, this was his fault. And he would make it right somehow. "Why don't you take a quick shower, ease away some of the soreness? And then we can get some sleep; it's late after all," he suggested. Astrid nodded as she moved into Hiccup's bathroom and closed the door, once he heard the shower go on, he got his phone out, pressed a button and put it to his ear.

" _Any luck?"_ Ryker asked upon answering.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe you can give me something, though," Hiccup said.

" _And that is?"_ Viggo inquired.

"Who broke into my house at 11 and took the silver heart-shaped pendant necklace from Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

" _We'll figure it out and get back to you. This is the pendant that unlocked the safe, right? So Drago has access to the information you have. Tell me, did you find the object?"_ Viggo hoped.

"I did. If you find the locket…Bring it to Astrid, who is always with me. You can say you saw her name on the inside," Hiccup informed.

" _We'll get it back to you,"_ Ryker said.

"Good. That's all for tonight; I'll secure the Dragon Eye," Hiccup stated. A moment later; the call ended as Hiccup put his phone on the charger. By 12:45 pm, Astrid was out and crawled into Hiccup's bed, snuggling up to him. Hiccup held her close and kissed her lightly. Astrid drifted off to sleep by 1 am, and Hiccup was not far behind her.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Saturday, May 28, 2022-3 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Friday was a quiet day. Astrid was upset over her stolen pendant, and the friends were worried about the few marks that were on her arms and face. Hiccup explained about the break-in to them, and they understood but felt bad. Hiccup purchased the prom tickets as soon as they went on sale at lunch while Astrid was in the nurse's office to get an aspirin for her headache. That night, there was a sleepover as always, which cheered Astrid up a bit. Now, it was Saturday, and there was to be a small party to celebrate that they all passed their finals and were graduating in a few weeks. The festivities were beginning, and thankfully; it was a nice day out.

"Alright, Hiccup gets to kick it off!" Tuffnut chuckled.

"Kick what off?" Astrid blinked.

"We do this every year; enjoy a party after finals. And Hiccup always starts the celebration with a song," Dagur informed.

"Ah. Well, then I can't wait to hear this," Camicazi giggled. "It's so much fun,"

"When I sing?" Hiccup asked.

"No, hanging out with good friends," Eret said.

"Told you," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "And not singing this time,"

"Dude, come on; you always do," Snotlout reminded.

"Yeah, well, my throat is bothering me, so I'd rather not lose my voice, thanks," Hiccup remarked.

"Fair enough," Astrid giggled.

"But…There is something else I gotta do before I forget," Hiccup stated as he moved closer to her and Astrid looked at him with a smile. "I suppose it wasn't fair to smooth-talk my way into getting you to come to prom with me, so…" Hiccup pulled something out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee while using his left hand to hold Astrid's. "Would you like to go to the Senior Prom with me?" Hiccup pulled out his right hand and revealed two tickets to the prom there.

Astrid gasped a little. "Oh, Hiccup…I'd love to go with you!" she tried not to squeal, but she was excited. Sure, she would have gone after what happened last week when Hiccup smooth-talked her into agreeing with his sarcasm. However, this was adorable and really warmed her heart, and cheered her up after losing her necklace.

"Awe, that was so sweet!" the girls beamed.

"Nicely done, Hiccup," Fishlegs clapped his hands as the males agreed.

"Alright, now let's get this party started!" Hiccup called out to them as he pressed a button on a remote to start the music. Astrid remained next to Hiccup while enjoying this, but she absolutely couldn't wait for next Friday; it was the Senior Prom, and she was going with her best friend/boyfriend. Nothing could be more perfect in her eyes.


	65. Destroyed

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Destroyed

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, May 31, 2022-12:35 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

As finals were over, the seniors could spend their day on campus relaxing. It could be outside, flying dragons, anywhere as long as they were on school grounds. Also, a lot of their morning and some of the afternoon was graduation preparations. Monday was just am an assembly about the rules, dress code, place, time, and who was allowed to come. Today brought fittings for cap and gown orders. The Archian Preparatory colors were brown and white. This meant that the girls would wear white, boys in brown. The tassels on the cap would have a gold piece reading the year 2022 as the strings would display brown and white. Everything had to be ordered by the end of the week to ensure they arrived on time for the week of graduation. Next week would start the lining up process, which was to make sure everyone lined up according to their last name.

The next set of processes in the prep was going over who would speak, the songs played, preparing to walk the stage, and how to receive their diplomas. This process would go on until Saturday the 18th when graduation would take place. There would be a rehearsal in the morning at 10 am. Graduation was set to be on the biggest field Archian Prep had to offer, which would be the Dragon Training field. The Senior Class had to arrive to change and line up by 2 pm. The ceremony started at 4 pm, and hopefully wouldn't last more than two hours. Afterward, most families would be taking their newly graduated teenagers our to celebrate with a late dinner, and some would just be hanging out with friends. Hiccup and Astrid would be having dinner with Stoick, Valka, Snotlout, Adelaide, Fishlegs, Alvin, Termagant, Spitelout, and Frida. And then on Sunday, there would be a friends hangout celebration and sleepover. That was the plan at least, and all this was almost upon them.

Among other situations, Astrid's necklace still hadn't been found. Agent Hoark was aware of the break-in to Haddock Manor. The police were trying to locate whoever hurt Astrid and took her pendant. And Hiccup had hidden the Dragon Eye in the best place he could; with him. The Dragon eye was safely hidden within Hiccup's backpack. Hiccup assumed it was the only place he could keep to avoid it being taken if he wasn't around. And so far, that had been working. Nobody knew Hiccup had it, or at least he didn't think so. Hiccup didn't like keeping secrets from everyone, but he felt this was the only way to protect his family and friends. If nothing else; he would become the target for taking it from the Reaper. The Dragon Eye is what Drago needed Astrid's locket key for; to gain access to the maps to find the Dragon Eye. Drago wouldn't find anything because Hiccup had it.

Right now; it was lunchtime with the friends sitting together outside.

"Yoohoo…Hiccup? Are you with us?" Thuggory waved his hand in front of Hiccup's face. No response. Astrid rolled her eyes as she leaned over a bit and kissed his lips gently. Hiccup snapped out of his daze.

"Huh? What?" Hiccup asked.

"Welcome back," Astrid giggled some. "You zoned out on us when we were talking about the graduation party on the 19th," she reminded.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Hiccup replied, rubbing the back of his head a little. "Wait, did you kiss me to snap me out of it?"

"Yep," Astrid smiled.

"Why?" Hiccup blinked.

"Because I knew it would work, and I love seeing your reaction," Astrid replied.

"Huh…You're a devious little thing. I'm gonna have to watch out for that," Hiccup chuckled.

"Watch it, Haddock…" Astrid warned.

"Make me, Hofferson," Hiccup challenged.

"You're just mad that I made you blush in front of everyone," Astrid folded her arms over her chest with her eyes closed, a triumphant grin on her face. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he turned himself a bit and leaned over to kiss Astrid back. Astrid's eyes widened a bit, but she melted into the action and went to kiss him back, but Hiccup pulled away with a smirk.

"Right back at you, babe," Hiccup teased. Astrid blushed furiously as the socked him in the arm.

"That was for teasing me," Astrid glared; then she leaned her head on his shoulder. "And this is for everything else," she added. Hiccup chuckled, putting his head on hers.

"Oh, you two are gonna make such a cute couple when you finally get together," Heather clapped her hands together. Hiccup and Astrid laughed a little before separating, but neither of them said anything. It didn't feel right to tell everyone that they were kind of seeing each other already.

"Alright, so where were we at with grad party plans?" Hiccup asked.

"Discussing what everyone is bringing," Camicazi reminded.

"Well, it's basic food for the main meal. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs. There will be chips, drinks…So I guess just maybe everyone being either an appetizer or dessert? There will be a graduation cake; I've taken care of that already," Hiccup informed.

"I guess that wraps that up," Dagur remarked. "Oh, what's going on for the 11th?" he wondered.

"11th?" Nadia asked.

"It's…Runa's first birthday," Fishlegs said. Astrid looked over to Hiccup now; he wasn't saying anything, but his head was down.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked; her hand moving to his softly; then Hiccup glanced over at her questioningly. "You okay?"

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup replied to her.

"Well, you didn't answer Dagur's question," Thuggory reminded.

"I just didn't have an answer to give," Hiccup laid back against Toothless now as the Night Fury warbled at him, nudging his head a bit. "I'm not sure what I'm doing yet. It falls on a Saturday, so probably a party for her that Mom and Dad will insist on throwing that day, which is fine with me. I'd never deny my little girl a party on the day of her birth. That was a crazy day; I wouldn't change it for the world, though," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"How did it go?" Astrid asked. "Well, if you don't mind talking about it?"

"Nah, it's okay," Hiccup sat up now. "Olivia's original due date was July 9th, which would have been ideal with me not missing any school to help her out for a few months until September when we started Senior Year. But, I guess Runa didn't want to wait," he laughed a little. "Birger and Olivia weren't always homeschooled; they used to attend a private school in Outcast. I forget the name; it was a small place with no more than eighty students at best. Olivia learned she had cancer; then we found out she was pregnant during an appointment where they were running tests to figure out the best treatment plan for her. Olivia refused treatment to save the baby because Olivia's chance of survival was still up in the air even if she terminated the pregnant to take the medications. Olivia wanted to give the baby life instead of saving her own," Hiccup explained.

"That's…Really brave," Camicazi commented softly.

"And I supported it. What else could I do? The doctors told her that there would be no saving her if she continued the pregnancy, so I knew that day I'd lose her eventually. Initially; they didn't think Olivia would even survive giving birth, but she pulled through. Bless that woman's fighting spirit," Hiccup laughed a little.

"So, the day she went into labor was crazy? We remember you taking off around lunchtime, wasn't it?" Eret asked.

"That's right," Hiccup nodded. I called sent Liv a text saying good morning at 6:30 am. Olivia didn't answer until a few minutes before the first bell signaled, and she told me morning and said she was uncomfortable. I asked if she was okay, and she said it was hard being eight months pregnant and getting out of bed in the morning. I told her I had to get to class and call me if anything changed," Hiccup started. "Most of the morning was okay, a few texts back and forth of her updating me on what she was doing, or asking how my day was going," Hiccup put his hands together as his arms were on his kneecaps.

"All day; it got worse. Exhaustion, hard to move, severe cramps; Liv described them as beyond intense first-day menstrual cycle pains," Hiccup explained.

"Oh, Gods; I never want to get pregnant if labor is that bad!" Nadia shook her head.

"That bad, huh?" Snotlout snickered a bit.

"Apparently; all I felt was Liv nearly breaking my hand and her telling me what she was going to kill me," Hiccup smiled.

"Hey, don't knock period cramps on day one; it sucks!" Heather frowned as the other girls nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, your story Hiccup," Astrid urged.

"Well, Olivia called me at lunch hour to tell me that her water broke. Maeva, Bard, and Birger were off shopping or something; I don't remember. I called them once I arrived, and said I'd take her in on Toothless. Liv got admitted right away while I let my parents know. Liv's water broke, but her labor wasn't totally active yet, and she'd only dilated half a centimeter. The contractions were inconsistent too, meaning that they were basically 30-40 minutes apart. As birth nears, there is more dilation, and the contractions become almost constant," Hiccup enlightened.

"Live was pissed and tired because of how slow everything moved, and she couldn't even get an epidural until she was five or six centimeters dilated. It was just hours of trying to get her to dilate more. We tried walking up and down the halls, and anything else they suggested. By 3 pm, Liv made it to a full centimeter dilated. At 5, she hit two. 7 pm was four and a half. By 8:30 pm, Liv hit five and got the epidural; that kicked in around 9:10 pm. Olivia was able to get some sleep from 9:30 pm to 11:45-ish and they came in to check her again; Olivia hit seven cm somewhere when she was sleeping. 12:30 am, Liv reached seven and a half. 1:30 am; nine centimeters. And finally, 2:30 am; ten cm and time to push. It took about five good pushes to get Runa out and happened over the course of seven minutes. So 2:37 am on June 11th, 2021; Runa Haddock was born," Hiccup informed.

"What time did you get to sleep finally?" Camicazi asked.

"I don't know…4 am? Runa was cleaned up, weighed, measured, and did her little hand and footprints. Runa was wrapped; then given to Liv to feed her. We tried breastfeeding, but Runa wasn't having it. That was basically it. Our parents came in to see her quickly; then Liv fell asleep, so I took Runa until 3:30 am before putting her in the bedside crib; I passed out around 4 am and was up again at 7 am. Everything after that was just taking care of her, and learning that Olivia wouldn't have a lot of time left; they said less than two months, but Liv made it to November. You know the rest from there," Hiccup stated.

"Wow. In labor for about fourteen hours…" Ragna blinked.

"That's about standard for a first-time mom, according to the doctors at least," Hiccup shrugged.

"Well, Olivia was lucky to have such a supportive man at her side through it all," Astrid smiled.

"Thanks," Hiccup looked at her. The bell sounded as they began to clean their garbage and get up. "See you guys at 3 pm. Thug's dad asked to see me for something at the end of the day; I'll meet you afterward," he added.

"No problem," the rest replied, and soon everyone broke off to get to classes. Yeah; they weren't doing much in them, some were just parties, movies, or preparing for college stuff.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:15 pm}**_

"I understand, Mr. Meatsen," Hiccup replied as he shook the man's hand; then exited the principal's office. _Not that I mind the honor of being Valedictorian, but I didn't need a long meeting about it…_ Hiccup sighed to himself as he went to meet his friends at the stables. _I'm so late…_ he thought. By 3:30 pm; he reached his friends. Everyone was there but one; his girlfriend.

"Hey, there you are," Dagur greeted.

"Yeah, the meeting took a bit longer than expected. Is…Astrid in the bathroom or something?" Hiccup asked while preparing Toothless for the flight home.

"That's where she said she was going," Eret stated.

"It's been twenty minutes, Hiccup," Ragna informed. Hiccup faced her now. "Astrid went to the bathroom around 2 pm, but we haven't seen her since, and she hasn't replied to any texts or calls,"

Hiccup's worry began to rise. "Hic…Relax a bit; I'm sure she's okay…" Snotlout tried. Hiccup glared as he put his phone against his ear.

"Do not tell me to relax, and I won't until I know for sure. Come on, Ast…Pick up the phone…" Hiccup said. "Pick up, pick up, pick up…" he repeated quietly. Finally, he lowered it and mumbled under his breath. "Damn it; voicemail twice…"

Ruffnut, Minden, Camicazi, Ragna, and Nadia rushed back panting. "She's not in any of the bathrooms, and wasn't in with the nurse or the office," Ruffnut said trying to catch her breath.

"You don't think something has happened, do you?" Heather asked quickly.

"Astrid always answers when I call…" Hiccup looked at Heather. Hiccup dialed another number and put it to his ear. "Agent Haggard? Astrid's hasn't answered calls or texts since 2 pm," he stated. "I got called away to the principle. Astrid was with our friends, but left at two to use the restroom," he explained. "The girls checked all the bathrooms, the nurse, and the office. No one has seen her. I'm still at the school," then a pause. "I'll be here," then the call ended. "Fuck me," he slammed his head against the stable wall. "This is my fault…"

"Hiccup, you can't blame yourself…You can't be everywhere," Thuggory reminded.

"I didn't need to be everywhere…Just with her, and I fucked that up…" Hiccup closed his eyes. "If I ever get my hands on the guy who did all this; I swear to Odin I'm going to knock his ass out…" he grumbled. All Hiccup could do was wait for Hoark, and likely Spitelout. By 4:00 pm, Spitelout, Hoark, and Alvin arrived. To make matters worse, his parents and Gobber showed as well as Mogadon Meatsen.

"Hiccup, what is going on?" Stoick asked.

"Astrid's missing, Uncle Stoick," Adelaide informed softly.

"We'll find her, not to worry," Alvin assured.

"I just want this over…" Hiccup remarked as his eyes glanced at Stormfly, who seemed on edge and looking around. "Where is she, Stormfly?" he asked. Stormfly squawked sadly. "Toothless, do your thing, bud. Find her," Toothless stood up and let out a screech-like roar in several different directions. Finally, Toothless's ears started twitching about before he locked onto something to the right of them and growled.

"Bravo, Master Hiccup. Bravo indeed," came a familiar voice. Hiccup's eyes widened as the figure came forward holding Astrid's arms behind her back and forcing her into sight with him. The man grinned as Hiccup tightened his fist. "You look surprised to see me,"

"Johann…" Hiccup's shocked look turned to anger.

"The one and only," Johann answered as Toothless prepared a blast. "Call him off," Johann pushed the blade more.

"Toothless, cease," Hiccup put his hand out as Toothless stepped back, but continue glaring as Hiccup swirled his finger once and Toothless retreated farther into the stables. "Johann, how could you? We've worked together for years," he demanded.

"I know, a nice act, wasn't? Years of friendship, trust…All a lie to gather information. And like the naïve teenager, you are; you never guessed I'd be behind a lot of things. The perfect way to infiltrate your life was to be part of it, and you didn't suspect a thing. Working for you was all I needed to gather the information I needed, so I can thank you for getting me this far…" Johann laughed a bit as Hiccup glared. "And yet…You and that Night Fury are always in the way of things…" he said coldly.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked.

"You and your meddling in things that don't concern you is aggravating. You're always where you shouldn't be, and then you had to go and ruin a seven-year operation by taking on the Red Death we planted on Dragon Island…Never expected you to survive that, and now you're in the way of everything," Johann informed. "I should just kill you now…"

"If you think you got what it takes to beat me after all this; I dare you to try it…If I'm in your way; then let her go and come at me," Hiccup offered.

"Oh, I'd love to, but, unfortunately, I need her," Johann said. "She's all I got to get to you because Odin knows you'll do anything to protect her,"

"What do you want?" Hiccup inquired.

"I must admit; you're a clever boy for your age. You gained access to the safe with Colden Hofferson's documents on an ancient artifact that tells all information about dragons," Johann said as Astrid's eyes widened as her eyes snapped to Hiccup's figure. "Figuring out that the key to the safe was a locket she wears around her neck. Studying the maps and finally locating something Colden himself couldn't. You've been a busy boy indeed. Now. You're a smart kid…You know I know that you have what we've been after…Hand it over,"

"Let me guess; you want the Dragon Eye in exchange for Astrid?" Hiccup called to him as the two were a decent distance apart.

"Oh, it sounds so much colder when you say it like that, but yes," Johann remarked. Hiccup grabbed his backpack and dug the Dragon Eye out; then he tossed the bag to the side."While I don't appreciate you meddling in things that don't concern you, I suppose thanks are in order as you managed to use just a few days to decipher those maps and locate something we've been after for seven years. Now, I must insist you give it to me so we can get on with things…Taking over the world is a bit of a process, and that artifact puts everything into motion," he added.

"Hiccup, don't even think about it!" Astrid yelled at him as Hiccup looked at her now. "My parents were killed to protect that thing, don't you dare hand it over!"

"Astrid…" Hiccup stared now.

"Be quiet, girl," Johann growled.

"Hiccup, listen to me; if they get that thing…It's all over, for everyone. My parents were murdered over it…A-And if I have to die for it to stay safe…" Astrid lowered her head a bit.

"Silence. Don't be a fool, Hiccup. Come now. Are you really going to give up your future?" Johann started as Hiccup's narrowed. "All the wonderful years you have ahead of you over that?" Johann continued. Hiccup knew what he was getting at too, and Hiccup knew his answer; his eyes met Astrid's as she shook her head no to him.

Hiccup held the Dragon Eye in his hand now. "Wow, Johann," Hiccup started. "Well, I guess when you put it like that…NO, I'M NOT!" he yelled as he threw the Dragon Eye as hard as he could pass Johann.

"NO!" Johann panicked as he quickly released Astrid and she ran over to Hiccup, and he held her in his arms; then glared.

"Toothless, now!" Hiccup called. Out of nowhere; Toothless rushed into sight and used his tail to knock the device up in the air out of Johann's reach. "Do it, bud! Destroy it; full power!" he demanded. Toothless charged a blast and fired it at the Dragon Eye. The moment the two things connected; the Dragon Eye shattered into nothing at all. Hiccup had Toothless destroy it, and now, it was gone.


	66. Only Just Begun

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

It's Only Just Begun

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, May 31, 2022-4:20 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

I don't think anyone knew what to say or do after the scene that just took place. I know for me; I went to the bathroom and then as I was coming out, I got grabbed with a hand over my mouth. The first thing I got told was not to panic, and everything would be okay. I got dragged out of the school and taken to be hidden in the woods behind the Dragon Training field. I saw Johann and got worried; he told me that I wasn't the target this time, but needed to get something else. For an hour, not much happened; I was gagged and guarded. A couple of people were in the forest with us. There were two guys, a large bald one with a mustache and small goatee. The second one was shorted, full head of hair and around the lips mustache that connected to the beard. These two were the ones guarding me, but I don't think they were bad. The shorter one had knelt in front of me, appearing to whatever was over my mouth and make sure my hands restraints were tight.

However, he told me not to be afraid because everything would be okay. I wasn't going to believe him, but then he said he and his brother weren't the bad guys and only part of this on Hiccup's orders. A failsafe in case he wasn't around to protect her. Hearing that; I couldn't believe anything else. Hiccup was always on the phone saying something about handling business and wouldn't tell me what. I had to assume he was talking to these brothers, and also; they did protect me. When Johann went to hit me for whatever the reason, the taller, bald guy stopped him and warned that if I was marked up; the boy would be far less understanding and wouldn't cooperate. Johann backed off and stepped away until it was time. I heard Toothless's roar; then Johann grabbed me and pulled me out with a knife to my neck.

I remained calm, but I was scared. I could see a lot of people on the field; Hiccup went all out when I was taken. Everything happened so fast, but it came down to me learning that Hiccup knew more about all this than Spitelout and Hoark. Hiccup had been doing quite a bit of detective work under the radar and found something my father had been trying to find and protect. I realized the rest was that Drago wanted this thing, and killed my parents to get it. Also, that my heart pendant; the locket was the key to a safe where my father had all the maps to find this Dragon Eye. However, Hiccup was a step ahead and found it first. Johann kidnapped me to get it from Hiccup. I also learned that Johann and the people he's working for are responsible for Red Death too; I saw that tick Hiccup right off. As expected, everything came down to the moment where Johann ordered Hiccup to give up the Dragon Eye for my safety.

I knew it was a sacrifice, but my parents died because of that thing; trying to find it and make sure it wasn't in the hands of those who would abuse its power. I couldn't let Hiccup trade it for me. I told him not to do it, and I would die if needed. Johann taunted Hiccup, asking if he would give up his future over it. I saw a look in Hiccup's eyes as he said he wasn't giving anything up; then he threw it hard. Johann released me, and I ran to Hiccup quickly. Toothless came out and made sure the Dragon Eye was out of reach before Hiccup ordered for his destruction. And that's exactly what Toothless did; he fired a powerful blast to turn the Dragon Eye into nothing at all. And here we were now; standing in shock of what just transpired.

Johann whipped around, facing Hiccup now; a deadly look in his eyes. "Get behind me," Hiccup said as he pushed me behind his figure. "Stand with the others. I'll deal with this," I nodded and hurried back with the group. Who was I to argue with Hiccup? Sure, he owed me and several others an explanation, but I knew this wasn't the time.

"You have a nasty little habit of interfering in matters that don't concern you," Johann stated coldly.

"And you have a bad habit of never shutting up. Why in the name of Odin would you tell me that the Dragon Eye is what you needed to put another plan to destroy my home into motion? Did you honestly think I'd just give it up?" Hiccup asked him.

"Well, threatening the girl to get it from you seemed like a good idea at the time…" Johann muttered.

"I've known since you walked out with her what this would be about. I knew you'd tell me to have Toothless back off because you've always been afraid of him," Hiccup informed as Johann tensed seeing Toothless walk by him. "This little move," Hiccup twirled his finger around in the air, "Wasn't me telling him to back off; I had him hide in the stables and sneak out the back into the woods, then come around to be across from me," Johann glared hard. "You were never gonna get the Dragon Eye. Even if I handed it over to you; Toothless was ready to attack you from behind,"

"Clever boy…" Johann remarked.

"You gave yourself away by asking me if I was going to give up my future. I knew you weren't going to let Astrid go," Hiccup shrugged. "That's why I threw the Dragon Eye," Johann tightened his fists. "I knew you'd let her go to catch it, but then like I said; Toothless was ready. And now no one can ever use it again,"

"Meddling in things that don't concern you are going to get you killed one day…" Johann charged at Hiccup and tackled him down.

"Hiccup!" I yelled in concern for him.

"Dad! Do something!" Snotlout told his father.

"No," Gobber stopped them. "It's Hiccup's fight. Johann tried to use Astrid against him; it's personal now,"

"We need that guy in custody," Hoark informed.

"Oh, don't worry. The lad won't let him go," Gobber chuckled.

"I fail to see how any of this is funny to you, Gobber!" Valka screeched.

"You don't know your boy as well as you think you do, Val. Tell me, do you think if you had been used against Stoick; he wouldn't fight out of anger to the person who took you?" Gobber asked.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Stoick said. "Yeah, Hiccup's doing what I would,"

Johann slammed Hiccup down hard on the ground; then punched him a few times in the face before bringing back his arm and revealing a dagger up his sleeve. Johann brought it down as Hiccup moved his head to the side, avoiding the blow by inches. Hiccup got Johann back with his leg, then kicked again to get Johann off him and on his own back. Hiccup stood up panting. Johann rose he charged again, Hiccup and Johann ended up on the ground rolling around and fighting one another.

"You will regret the day you ever crossed me," Johann stated.

"My only regret…Is not seeing you for the lying, traitor you've always been sooner," Hiccup remarked as Johann hit him in the face before getting up and standing over him. Johann pulled a gun and loaded it as he pointed it Hiccup.

"Goodbye, Hiccup Haddock," Johann said. Suddenly, Toothless fired a blast from behind, knocking Johann away from Hiccup, and allowing him to get up.

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup smiled. Toothless warbled and helped Hiccup up. Johann began to recover as Hiccup walked up to him with a cold look in his eyes. Johann coughed a few times.

"You'll be sorry…" Johann spat as he went to run at Hiccup again. Hiccup just rolled his eyes in annoyance as he stepped to the side and threw his arm out to stop Johann; then bring his leg up and kick him to his side. Hiccup approached with an emotionless stare. "You can't stop what is to come," Johann warned.

"Oh, you mean the King of Dragons?" Hiccup informed. Johann's eyes widened. "I know what you wanted the Dragon Eye for; to lead you to the Bewilderbeast. The king of all dragons who holds the ability to take control of other dragons. Your boss planted the Red Death on Dragon Island; the first attempt to gain control of the island. But me and my meddling Night Fury discovered it before you could act, and we defeated it. It was meant to be a distraction to buy more time for you to find the Dragon Eye, which would be used to locate the Bewilderbeast,"

"How can you know all this?!" Johann demanded.

"The Dragon Eye was an ancient Viking artifact created and owned by the Dragon Hunter Tribe. A large group of Vikings who would trap and hunt dragons for their claws, teeth, skin to make a profit. Dragon killing was a lucrative business back then before the war ended because tribes would do anything to rid themselves of the dragon raids. It stands to reason that the Dragon Eye was used to locate every type of dragon around; to find the rare ones which would be worth a substantial amount of money," Hiccup explained. "When the war ended because Dragon Trappers and Hunters had no business, so what better way to employ their skills that to find a dragon who could make others do what it wanted?"

Johann glared at him. "Your boss is a madman who wants world domination with dragons. To make people bow and follow him, and get rid of those who don't. Few people remember the roots on which we started, the Viking history that we all come from. Of course; many people follow the legends too. However, none of that matters anymore. I've ensured that the Dragon Eye will never be owned by anyone, so, therefore; it can never fall into the hands of those who would abuse its power,"

"You'll be sorry, Hiccup Haddock," Johann warned. "Mark my words…You can't stop-"

"Yeah, yeah; you've already said it. _I can't stop what's coming_. Well, you know what…I defeated your Red Death, so bring it on. Give me whatever you got, but know this," Hiccup said as he picked Johann up by the collar and held him there. "This is my home, and I will defend my island and the people who live here. I will fight until the day I take my last breath," Johann stared in shock. "You will never win as long as I'm alive, and you can mark my words on that," Hiccup threw him down and started walking away.

"That's it? You're done fighting?!" Johann yelled.

"You aren't worth my time or energy," Hiccup informed with his hands in his pockets as he headed towards the group.

"I wonder if I'm worth it if you knew what I did to her in the hour she was gone…" Johann said. Hiccup froze mid-step.

"What?" Hiccup asked, not facing him.

"You heard me; she's a feisty little thing, but fun…" Johann taunted. "Maybe I should have finished the job and just raped her,"

"Oh, no…" Dagur said nervously.

"What? What's happening?" I asked.

"Johann hit the spot with Hiccup that no one should ever touch if they want to live," Dagur whispered to her.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

Heather leaned towards me, putting her hand up to cover her mouth. "Rape is a ridiculously sensitive subject for Hiccup because Olivia was raped. And Johann is talking about the fact he should have raped you to make Hiccup furious with rage," she said as I gasped. Oh, Gods! How could I forget about that! No wonder Hiccup had stopped instead of walking away.

"No matter. Another _Should have, could have, and would have_ moment gone by," Johann grinned. Hiccup whipped around with a murderous look in his green eyes. I've never seen it before, and it was a little terrifying, to be honest. Hiccup elbowed Johann in the chest; then hooked his leg around Johann's to make him fall. Hiccup pivoted his foot fast and span around to sidekick Johann towards us. Johann hit the ground and slid back into the stable wall. Hiccup grabbed Johann's shirt and dragged him to the ground before putting his hand over the man's neck in front of us.

"That's it, Hiccup…Kill me for what I did to her…" Johann pushed as Hiccup tightened his grip on Johann's neck. I rushed forward and put my hand on Hiccup's shoulders.

"Hiccup! No! Don't do this, don't listen to him!" I pleaded.

"He tried to kill you…" Hiccup stated coldly. "He wanted to rape you!"

"I know. I know, and I was terrified. But you saved me," I reminded. "You saved me like you always do because you promised you'd keep me safe and always be here when I needed you. Let him go. You can't kill him; it's murder, and you're not a murderer. You'll go to prison, and I need you, so please don't do it…" Hiccup's glare remained, but he released Johann and rolled onto his feet to step back. I put my hands on Hiccup's chest and began to push him away more. "Look at me, babe," I pulled his attention on to me. "It's okay, Hiccup. See? I'm alright…He can't hurt me anymore because I'm with you,"

Hiccup's eyes softened a little as I put my hands on his cheeks and turned Hiccup so his back was to Johann and couldn't see him anymore. "Did he touch you at all?" Hiccup asked.

"No. It was just to bait you to attack him, Hiccup. He never touched me; the guards told him that it wasn't part of the plan when he tried to come near me," I explained.

"Would have if they weren't around," Johann muttered. I saw the fire in Hiccup's eyes kick up as he Hiccup turned and punched Johann hard, this time, knocking him straight into unconsciousness. Johann went limp in Hoark's arms.

"Would you get him out of here please?!" Stoick ordered. "I don't know how many more times Astrid is going to be able to use herself as a distraction for him…"

"Hiccup…Hey, it's okay. Over here, look at me…See, he's gone. It's alright…Relax…" I soothed while making him look at me. Hiccup wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my shoulder.

"You don't know how scared I was seeing the knife against your throat," Hiccup whispered.

"Everything's okay now…It's over. It's all over now, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's over," Hiccup nodded.

"Are you okay?" I looked over him after we pulled from the hug.

"I'll be fine. Are you?" Hiccup inquired.

"I am; I could really use a shower, a-and then maybe some more time in your arms?" I tried.

"If that's what you need; then consider it done," Hiccup responded as he whistled for Toothless. The Night Fury came over, and Hiccup got on his back.

"Hiccup…We need to talk about all of this," Spitelout reminded.

"Look…I know you have some questions, and I promise I'll tell you everything…Just give me some time," Hiccup asked.

"N-," Hoark began.

"Hoark," Spitelout put a hand on his shoulder. "It seems like Hiccup has things under control, and can provide a lot of information. I think we can afford one more day to give him a little time to relax after today,"

"Tomorrow after school, in my office," Hoark stated.

"Done," Hiccup nodded as he helped me onto Toothless's back. "Home," he said as Toothless got in the sky and Stormfly followed. I held onto Hiccup and tried to relax. All I wanted was to be held by him after all this.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

After arriving home; Hiccup and Astrid put their dragons away and got inside the house. Upstairs, Astrid grabbed a change of clothes and showered in Hiccup's bathroom while he took care of Runa. Now, Astrid was out of the shower while Runa slept in her crib until a bit later. Hiccup had changed out of his school uniform and was laying on his bed when Astrid came out dressed in something comfortable.

"I know you're curious about everything, and want an explanation as much as Hoark and Spitelout do," Hiccup sighed a bit. Astrid crawled into the bed and laid against him. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her securely as she relaxed.

"Right now, all I want is to be held by you and know I'm safe," Astrid informed.

"I told you I'd do anything to make sure you're out of harm's way," Hiccup reminded.

"No…You told me to trust you that everything was taken care of, and from this day forward; I will never doubt you again," Astrid said.

"I'm hurt that you doubted me at all," Hiccup closed his eyes. There was some silence between them. "Astrid, I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you about the things I was doing. You were already in danger, and I didn't want to risk you knowing anything else that-," Astrid put her finger to his lips.

"You told me; _the less I know, the better_. If anyone suspected I knew something about whatever you were doing; I would have been a bigger target. You were protecting me, Hiccup. You did keep secrets, but they were to keep me safe, so I'm not mad," Astrid explained.

"You aren't?" Hiccup looked at her.

"No. How can I be? Hiccup, you uncovered what they wanted and beat them to it. Sure; I got taken for an hour, but you saved me and destroyed that thing. You got information that not even Hoark was able to obtain. You outsmarted the enemies and won…I'm proud of you," Astrid smiled. Hiccup leaned down and kissed her deeply. Afterward, they cuddled closer.

"The Dragon Eye might be gone, but Drago is still out there. And he is a threat, unfortunately. I don't doubt he had someone watching today's events. And Astrid…There's still a lot you don't know about the things I've done. One day, I will tell you everything. But until that day; I swear to you everything I've done and still doing is for the good of everyone. I need you to trust me on that," Hiccup said.

"You have it. Just promise you'll be alright," Astrid asked.

"I promise to try," Hiccup agreed. "This is dangerous work, but I'm confident that it will bring peace when it's over,"

"I believe in that," Astrid nodded as they kissed again and snuggled up. Soon, Astrid fell asleep. Hiccup stared up at the ceiling while she slept.

 _I've got Drago's attention as his biggest threat. This battle has only just begun._


	67. Night Of All Nights

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Night Of All Nights

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 3, 2022-5:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Senior Prom was tonight and starting in an hour. As it would be busy to get in with everyone else; Hiccup insisted that he and his group leave at 5:45 pm. Everyone was over, friend-wise, and so were their parents, or parent. The seniors didn't have school today in order to get ready for tonight. Astrid, Heather, Ragna, Camicazi, Nadia, Minden, and Ruffnut got their hair and nails done at the salon closest to Haddock Manor at 3:30 pm; they were all set with that by 4:30 pm. Hiccup and the males didn't start getting ready until 5 pm because they didn't require as much preparation for tonight. The girls, except for Astrid were done and downstairs already with their boyfriends or dates for the evening. Runa was with Maeva and Bard. Parents were taking pictures, but now it was time to leave, and Astrid wasn't downstairs yet. All the guys wore either black or gray suits. Shirts were white, gray, or black. But bowties or ties were the color of the dress their date wore.

Hiccup was wearing an all-black suit with a black shirt and light blue tie because Astrid said she was wearing a light blue dress. The days leading up to this were a bit crazy with making sure all the dresses and suits fit, plus getting corsages. Wednesday after school for Hiccup was sitting in Hoark's office explaining about the things Johann said on Tuesday. It wasn't a fun day and took almost two hours. Hiccup didn't tell them everything and apologized for intervening, but he had to do something to get Drago's focus on him instead of Astrid. Hiccup admitted that he purposely made himself a target, but it meant Astrid wouldn't be anymore. Also, Hiccup assured both men he would be okay and could handle himself. Plus, the Dragon Eye was gone, so what would Drago fight with now since he couldn't find the Bewilderbeast. Hiccup told them that he figured out Astrid's necklace was the key because of the fact it was the only thing stolen from his house.

Hiccup never told them about the safe stolen from his father's office that belonged to Colden. And Hiccup mentioned that he found maps on the Reaper, which led him to the Dragon Eye being in the captain's quarters. But that was it; Hiccup didn't give them anything more than that because it would jeopardize Viggo and Ryker, who were still undercover for Hiccup to get hard evidence of Drago ordering the hit to kill the Hofferson family. Also, Hiccup needed them to draw Drago out of hiding since not even the Grimborn brothers had met him in person and knew where he was. Hiccup couldn't tell them about that, but he assured them he could get Drago out to be arrested for his crimes. Hiccup made them remember that under their noses; he got farther in cracking the case than they did. Sadly, Spitelout and Hoark couldn't argue it but demanded updates. Hiccup agreed, and that was it.

Spitelout explained to Stoick and Valka what was happening, but not that Hiccup was still invested. Stoick and Valka didn't like that everything was done behind their backs but understood what a serious situation it was. Of course, Stoick and Valka assumed Hiccup was out of danger, and he was very much not. And that's how Hiccup demanded it remains until this was over.

"You sure she said she was right behind you?" Hiccup asked looking at the girls.

"Yeah," Ragna nodded.

"Astrid, hurry it up! We're gonna be late!" Snotlout called. Hiccup glared at him. "What, trying to help," Hiccup closed his eyes and shook his head in defeat of his younger cousin's way of handling some things.

"Hiccup," Dague elbowed him a bit as Hiccup opened his eyes and looked at him. Dagur only pointed to the stairs as Hiccup turned his head and caught sight of Astrid walking down slowly, step by step. Hiccup's eyes widened in amazement at how she looked. The guys and girls behind him snickered or giggled at the sight of Hiccup's face, stunned in awe of Astrid.

Astrid wore an elegant light blue, spaghetti strap, knee-length, A-Line, Chiffon dress. There was a slightly longer layer under the first one at the bottom and a bow that blended beautifully in with the rest of the flow down. Astrid's hair was braided from the base of her neck and down to hang over her left shoulder, and there was a smaller braid on the side of her head that tied in with the bigger one. On the right side of Astrid's head; there was some hair hanging down and straight in front of her ear and falling along the side of her cheek. Astrid didn't bother with earrings or a necklace. Nothing fancy was happening with Astrid's feet; she only wore two-inch, silver, open-toed sandals with a strap over part of the foot and then another strap for around the ankle.

Hiccup seemed to be frozen, just staring at Astrid. "I think she broke him," Thuggory commented.

Eret snapped his fingers in front of Hiccup before he snapped out of it and waved Eret's hand away. "Milady," Hiccup greeted her with a slight bow and offering his hand. Astrid giggled a bit as she accepted the action and allowed Hiccup to lead her the rest of the way down while Valka was snapping pictures. "You look gorgeous,"

"You like nice too, Mister _I hate suits_ ," Astrid laughed a little, remembering the night Hiccup said that during Stoick's Mayorship party.

"I deal with them for special occasions," Hiccup remarked.

"Oh, and tonight is a special occasion; it's just a glorified dance," Ruffnut informed.

"It's Senior Prom, and it only happens once. It's special because I get going to spend the entire evening with this lovely lady right here," Hiccup explained, smiling as he looked at Astrid, who blushed. Hiccup reached for the clear box with the corsage he purchased for her in it. Astrid extended her arm as Hiccup slipped it on her wrist, then the two hugged. Valka took a picture of Hiccup standing next to Astrid, and then another of Hiccup behind her with his hands on her waist. The last photo taken was a group one as everyone was preparing to leave.

"The limo just pulled up, son," Stoick enlightened. There was a knock on the door. "Sigurd, can you get that?" Seconds later, Sigurd walked in with a man behind him.

"Young Master Hiccup…There is a gentleman here for you," Sigurd stated.

"He's fine, thank you, Sigurd," Hiccup smiled as the man approached and pulled something out of his sidebag and handed it to Hiccup. The two men shook hands before the visitor left.

"What was that all about?" Alvin asked.

"I got Astrid a little gift that I asked to be ready for tonight; he was just bringing it by for me," Hiccup explained as he turned to face a surprised Astrid. "For you, Milady," he held the box out to her. It was a soft texture, gray one as Astrid learned when she accepted the case for her. Astrid carefully opened the box as her eyes widened with tears in them and a hand came to her mouth as she gasped and took a step back. Astrid looked between the contents of the case and Hiccup, who shrugged a bit and smiled with his hands in his pockets.

"Hiccup, this is-I don't-Is this-," Astrid tried to ask quickly, but her words weren't even full sentences. Sitting in the box was a silver, heart-shaped locket; freshly polished with a new chain. It looked dead on like the one that had been stolen from her. "Is this-," she tried again.

"Why don't you look and see for yourself?" Hiccup offered. Astrid shakily used her hands to open the locket. On the left was the same photo; a shot of her as a newborn with her parents. And on the right was the same engraving. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Hiccup instantly; it was her original pendant!

"Oh, my Gods! Hiccup, I-I…I don't under-How did you-When did you-," Astrid attempted, but the shock was still there. Suddenly, Astrid didn't even want to know; she was just grateful. Hiccup somehow managed to get back the locket that had been stolen from her. Astrid's bottom lip quivered as she launched herself at Hiccup, hugging him tightly. Hiccup chuckled a little and hugged her back.

"Do the rest of us get to see what made Astrid cry?" Fishlegs wondered. The hug ended as Astrid stayed next to him, admiring the locket.

"Would you like me to put it on you?" Hiccup asked. Astrid managed a nod as Hiccup carefully removed the necklace and stepped behind Astrid; putting it in place and securing the clip.

"That's the same necklace that was taken!" Heather pointed.

"No way; you bought her a replacement?!" the girls squealed. Astrid looked at Hiccup as he winked at her, and she understood that the others didn't realize this was the original, and he didn't mind letting them believe it to avoid more questions being raised.

"It's perfect," Astrid said. "Thank you, Hiccup," she added as there was another hug. "I don't know how you did it, and I'm not even going to question it…But thank you," she whispered.

"I promised you I would get it back, and Hiccup Haddock is a man of his word. I told you; all you have to do is trust me and everything will be fine," Hiccup reminded quietly. Astrid nodded as they broke the hug and she carefully wiped her eyes again, now smiling before Astrid pulled Hiccup closed by his neck and kissed him. Hiccup kissed her back, of course, and then they broke it.

"Alright, now we gotta get going before we miss the big night!" Camicazi reminded quickly, and with excitement. Hiccup only shook his head as he offered his arm to Astrid and led her out. Not long after, the rest followed, and they loaded into the limo that was parked in the driveway. By 5:45, as Hiccup planned; they were on their way to Senior Prom.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:45 pm}**_

 _ **(The Drakonian Palace Hotel)**_

It was being held at a luxurious hotel in one of the bigger conference rooms. That had a dance floor and all around was tables. There were longer tables with fruit punch, water, and soda. There were some small appetizers such as chips, dip, fruits, vegetables, and little snack-size sandwiches to hold them over until 7:00 when there would be dinner. The choices were stuffed chicken, steak, or spaghetti and meatballs. If someone chose steak or chicken, there would be various sides to pick from, and all this was picked as they entered the dance and turned in their tickets. There would options for soup or salad before dinner and dessert afterward. The theme of the dance was Las Vegas, and the only reason for it is because of the saying; _What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas_.

Someone on the committee thought it would be a good idea, but who cared as long as everyone had a good time. All the tables had decks of cards and dice on them, wine glasses for water, soda, or juice. There were balloons, flashing lights décor on the walls, and plenty of picture backdrops to get photos done at. Of course, the first place to snap a picture was upon walking in under a semi-nice arch with lights. Hiccup and crew arrived a bit late, but the traffic getting in was horrid, so it was okay.

"Well, here we are," Eret said.

"Senior Prom," Heather informed.

"One of the last big things we'll ever do as students of Archian Preparatory," Snotlout added.

"Well, what the hell are we waiting for!?" Hiccup asked them. "It's Senior Prom, a dance party for us Seniors to celebrate that we're done with Finals and graduating in two weeks! Let's party!" he announced. The crowd of thirteen friends cheered and hurried inside to find a table or two where they could sit together for the duration of the evening. By 6:55 pm, the found two tables that were unoccupied and sit them comfortably once they got permission to move them together and adjust the chairs.

"This is so exciting!" Astrid giggled as she was admiring everything.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it so far," Hiccup told her.

"Alright, what first?" Nadia asked.

"Well, dinner is likely gonna get pushed back because our Senior Class is about one hundred and twenty-students give or take ten to fifteen," Fishlegs advised.

"People are still arriving too," Heather pointed out.

"I'll go with dinner at 7:30, at the latest," Thuggory remarked.

"I'll agree, so I guess we do whatever for about thirty-five minutes?" Camicazi asked.

"Well, I don't know about any of you, but this is a dance. So, Astrid…Would you like to?" Hiccup inquired, offering his hand.

Astrid giggled a bit, nodding. "I'd love to," she replied taking his hand as Hiccup led her onto the dance floor as one song was ending and another started. The song was something semi-slow; _Drunk On You_ by Luke Bryan. Hiccup and Astrid positioned themselves and started moving around together in a small circle. Some of their other friends had joined in on the dance floor to dance as well. Somewhere through the song, Astrid closed her eyes and laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder, smiling contently.

"Having a good time so far?" Hiccup asked.

"It's…I don't even have the words for it, Hiccup; I'm just glad you asked me to go with you," Astrid looked up at him. "I think I'm having more fun now than I did at Junior Prom, and the night has barely begun," she admitted.

"As long as you're enjoying yourself," Hiccup stated as Astrid lifted her head up and looked up at Hiccup when he started humming along to the song. _"Let's slip on out where it's a little bit darker, and when it gets a little bit hotter; we'll take it off out in the water…"_ Hiccup sang. Astrid blushed deeply. The song continued as people were leaving the floor to get back to their tables. _"You're looking so good in what's left of those blue jeans. Drip of honey on the money-maker has gotta be the best buzz I'm ever gonna find…Hey, I'm little drunk on you and high on summertime…"_ Hiccup finished the song as it slowed more.

"I told myself I wasn't going to ask this…But I have to know…" Astrid began as Hiccup motioned for her to continue. "How'd you get it back?" she asked. Hiccup smiled as he continued dancing with her.

"Would you believe me if I said I'm just that good?" Hiccup tried. Astrid laughed a bit, but she shook her head. "It was worth a try," he shrugged. "Alright; I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone or even hint at it," he started.

"You can trust me," Astrid reminded gently.

"I contacted every pawnshop, trash removal service, and dump on Archia Isle. I offered a reward for whoever found and returned it to me," Hiccup enlightened.

"And…Who found it?" Astrid wondered.

"Pawnshop in Dragon Hunter. I received an e-mail this morning with pictures of the outside and inside from the owner of the shop; he said it was with a box of other silver jewelry from someone who said it was a bad divorce and getting rid of everything he ever gave his now ex-wife," Hiccup laughed a bit.

"Pfft, yeah, likely story for a bunch of thieves. Let me guess, Drago realized you already had the Dragon Eye and was told someone to get rid of it as it was useless to him now," Astrid muttered.

"That would be my best theory," Hiccup nodded.

"If I ever see him…I swear I'm gonna sock him in the face," Astrid grumbled.

"And I will hold him, so you can," Hiccup smiled.

"One more thing I wanna know…" Astrid asked while they were walking back to the table after the song ended entirely.

"And that is?" Hiccup invited, linking his hand to hers.

"What was the reward?" Astrid inquired. Hiccup tensed a bit and looked forward. "Hiccup…" she warned when he didn't answer.

"U-Um…F-Five," Hiccup answered.

"Hundred?! Five hundred?!" Astrid whispered harshly once they reached the table and the friends blinked, wondering what was going on. "You paid five hundred dollars for this?" she asked.

"Wait a second, what now?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Hiccup…Did you pay five hundred dollars to replace that necklace?" Camicazi questioned.

"Hiccup…" Astrid made him face her.

"No," Hiccup replied as Astrid sighed in relief. "Thousand," Astrid stopped and stared at him; they all did in fact. "Five thousand dollars, cash, was the reward for turning that necklace into me so I could give it back to you as promised," Hiccup said calmly.

"You said you replaced it!" Heather screeched.

"No, I located the original; it turned up in a pawnshop, and I got an email with pictures this morning. I had put out a message to all the pawnshops, garbage services, and dumps on the island that if it turned up; to contact me. I offered a cash reward of five thousand dollars to whoever returned it to me. I knew Drago would have no use for it since I had the Dragon Eye, so he'd pawn it for money with a bunch of other things too. I asked the guy to polish it up, and give it a stronger chain; then bring it to me tonight," Hiccup responded.

"Hiccup…This locket isn't worth more than-," Astrid started. "Hiccup…Why did you pay so much for this?"

"Because you can't put a price on happiness," Hiccup stated as Astrid's eyes widened. Hiccup had her sit down as he crouched in front of her and she looked down at him. "I know the necklace, as a piece of jewelry in a store isn't worth more than about $150, maybe $200. Okay, then you add in a couple lines on engraving, and you're looking at a $260 product. However, you've had this since you were five-years-old; it was given to you as a gift from your parents, and you never took it off,"

"B-But Hiccup!" Astrid tried, but Hiccup put his hand up to stop her.

"Astrid, this locket was given to you with the message that as long as you had it; you and your parents were always together, near or far, connected by a silver, heart-shaped pendant. And all these years; you've worn it and never knew it was a locket until I revealed it as such. Inside there is a picture of you as a baby being held by your folks, and meaningful words engraved. A way for you to never forget their message, and hold onto it more now that they have passed away," Hiccup continued as Astrid looked like she was going to cry.

"This locket means the world to you, and you were devastated when it was stolen. I promised you that I would get it back one way or the other. Even if I had to take Toothless into the belly of the beast and confront Drago myself; I would have done it to recover this for you. I would have depleted my life savings if that's what it took to get it back. It's a gift with a lot of sentimental value, and it cannot just be replaced with another one that may look like it; it would lose its meaning. You can't put a number on preserving a memory, something like this, Astrid," Hiccup lifted the pendant as he saw tears glistening in her eyes. "It's worth more than anyone would ever believe. And going through the process to get it back, just to see that moment of sheer joy on your face was worth every penny I spent to return it to its rightful owner. It belongs with you, Milady," Hiccup used his thumb to wipe a tear that began to fall.

Astrid smiled as she grabbed Hiccup's face and kissed him hard. The kiss was deep, passionate, and longer than any of the others anyone had seen them share. "Oh, wow," a few at the table said in surprise. Hiccup kissed Astrid back, and then the two broke apart.

"And if you behave and stop making me cry with your incredibly moving words…Maybe there's more of that kiss later on," Astrid blushed a bit. Hiccup saluted her quickly.

"Ma'am yes, ma'am!" Hiccup responded quickly. Astrid giggled as she patted the seat beside her and Hiccup went to sit down. After that; the friends continued to sit around the table and talk until dinner arrived, which was hopefully soon. Obviously, they wanted to eat, and get back to enjoying the night of all nights in their High School career; Senior Prom.


	68. A Fearless Hofferson

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

 ***Author's Note;** _I apologize for the delay in chapters. Just moved into a new apartment and took a bit to get the internet guys out here to hook it up. I'm all set now. Normal chapters will be resuming as 2-3 per week. Thank you for the patience!_ -Nightstar *****

A Fearless Hofferson

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 3, 2022-11:10 pm}**_

 _ **(The Drakonian Palace Hotel)**_

Thus far, Senior Prom was everything expected and hoped it would be. Loud music, talking, laughing, dancing, and an amazing meal. Hiccup and I chose the stuffed chicken and rice main course; I picked corn as my vegetable, and Hiccup got broccoli. Before that, Hiccup selected chowder for an appetizer; I went with a caesar salad. And for dessert; we decided to split a piece of chocolate cake with a small side of vanilla/fudge swirl ice cream. It was delicious too. By 8:30 pm, everyone was finished eating and began to get back on the dance floor. I've lost track of how many songs Hiccup and I have danced to tonight. Some fast, others slow, and then there are the line dance songs that everyone does in time together. The prom would end at 11:30 pm, shortly after the announcement of who the king and queen are; then the two winners would get a spotlight dance to a song of their choosing. That would be happening at 11:20 pm, I believe.

The entire night has been something I will never forget, and what made it more special is that I got to come as more than just Hiccup's date; I'm his girlfriend. Nobody knew about this still, but Hiccup and I would probably tell our friends soon. Right now, my friends and I are sitting at our tables to relax a bit before the announcement for the king and queen of the prom happened. Hiccup had left to use the bathroom while the rest of us were talking about what to do after prom was over. It's a Friday night; we usually have the sleepover at Hiccup's house, but I didn't know if that was still happening due to this being prom night.

Notoriously, proms are known for teenagers going off to other parties and ending up drunk, laid, or both. Also, couples who have been together a while may sometimes save the prom to have their first time. I knew a few in the Senior Class who has booked hotel rooms to go to after the prom ended. Among my friends; I didn't think any of them booked a room to do the deed. I also didn't think any of them planned to have sex tonight, but hey, I've been wrong only other couple was Hiccup and me, and I seriously doubted we'd be having sex tonight. I know I'm curious about it, but I know sex too early can kill a relationship. Losing Hiccup over a small detail such as sex is not something I wanted to do. However, as with the rest of our togetherness; we'd see what happened.

At the moment, none of that is my concern. My worry lied with the fact Hiccup went to use the bathroom at 10:55 pm, and it's now 11:10 pm. Why has he been gone for fifteen minutes? I didn't like it; something felt wrong. I've been trying to text him, but no answer.

"Astrid, what's wrong?" Heather asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hm? I guess I'm worried about Hiccup; he's been gone fifteen minutes," I admitted.

"That does seem a bit odd," Nadia informed. I got up and sighed.

"I'm going to go check on him," I remarked as I headed for the exit of the room, then located the bathrooms down the hall. Nobody was around as I went to peek into the men's restroom, but three males came hurrying out as I hid against the wall that separated the two entrances of the boy's and girl's room. I got my phone out and started recording them on video.

"That'll teach him…" one panted. "The girl would have been more fun,"

"The girl isn't the target anymore since we can't get near her without this one getting in the way. Damn, that little shit can fight," another added. "Fuck, I think he broke my wrist,"

"Orders were to jump the boy because that's who fights anyway, nobody else. The kid brought it on himself by always interfering; he made himself a target. Drago Bludvist is more than happy to oblige and attack him directly. Now, shut up both of you and let's get out of here before someone sees us. That damn girl he's always with was messaging him, I'm sure someone is gonna come looking soon," another added as they darted down the hall and out the side door at the end. Concern filled me as I quickly rushed into the men's room and saw Hiccup laying on the floor unconscious.

"Oh, my Gods…" I panicked as I hurried over to my boyfriend and knelt down before him. "Hiccup? Hiccup? Oh, please wake up…" I shook him a little. Hiccup groaned a little and shifted some as he opened his eyes. "Thank Odin…" I breathed a sigh of relief. I helped Hiccup sit up slowly until he was against the wall with an arm over his midsection.

"I guess that's what I get for thinking there wouldn't be no problems tonight…" Hiccup coughed a few times as he got up and I did the same.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" I asked softly.

"Little sore, I don't think anything is broken, sprained, or cracked," Hiccup nodded. "Don't worry about me, babe. I'm always gonna be okay. I'm touched you got worried and came to find me though. And since we're alone, there's something I've wanted to do since you did it to me at the start of the evening," he smiled softly as I blinked. Hiccup leaned in and kissed me; I melted into it right away.

Hiccup's body pushed mine against the wall as we continued. I felt Hiccup's tongue slide in and run over mine as my body became hyper-sensitive when his hands rested on my hips. My arms moved up and around his shoulders. Before I could stop it; a moan escaped. Hiccup pulled back quickly and stared. "D-Did you just moan?"

"N-No…" I denied.

"You sure about that?" Hiccup smirked a bit while I blushed.

"Just shut up and kiss me," I grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him in for a hard kiss. Hiccup's lips crashed against mine as we began making out, no longer caring about the prom going on a few doors down. A few minutes into it; the door slammed open as our friends rushed in to find the scene of me pressed against the wall as Hiccup and I were locked in making out.

"Oh," Minden and Nadia said.

"My," Ruffnut and Ragna continued.

"Gods," Camicazi and Heather blinked.

"They aren't even dating, and Hiccup still ended up with more action than any of us!" Snotlout motioned.

"Not cool," Tuffnut mumbled as Fishlegs only shook his head.

"Looks like we should be getting tips from him," Thuggory laughed with Eret as they did a fist bump.

I guess we had to stop, and Hiccup must have been thinking the same thing because he pulled back and kissed my lips once more. I almost whined as he smiled at me.

"We'll pick this up later," Hiccup whispered in my ear. I blushed a bit and nodded as he stepped back and faced the others. "What?"

"You need to get back in the room, like now," Camicazi informed.

"Why?" I inquired. "Prom's just about over,"

"Not until the king and queen dance," Minden giggled.

"Well, we don't have to stay for that," Hiccup reminded.

"You do when you and Astrid are the king and queen!" Nadia clapped her hands together excitedly. Hiccup's and mine's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?!" Hiccup and I said at the same time.

"It just got announced! You two won, so move it!" Dagur reached for Hiccup as Heather got me and they hurried us out of the hall and to get back to the room. Hiccup stopped fast and held his midsection again as I got beside him.

"Hiccup? Are you okay?" I asked quickly seeing him panting.

"What's wrong? Why is he in pain?" Ruffnut inquired.

"He got jumped in the bathroom by three guys…I found him unconscious. Hiccup, I think you hurt your ribs…We should go to the hospital," I tried.

Hiccup shook his head. "No, I'm good…" he replied as he stood up straight slowly, wincing a bit before moving his arm away. "I'm sure I just need to relax a bit. So how about one more dance, then we'll bail, Milady," he smiled a bit while offering his hand to me. I sighed knowing I wouldn't win this; I took his hand as we entered the room.

 _=Normal POV=_

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2022 Prom King and Queen; Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson!" the DJ announced. Hiccup and I walked through the open path where Mr. Meatsen was standing and waiting. Once we were before him; he placed a silver tiara-like crown on my head, then a larger, black top with white fur bottom and silver metal around it to match mine on Hiccup's head. Next was two sashes reading Prom King 2022 for Hiccup and Prom Queen 2022 for myself. "And now our royal prom leaders will close out the night with a spotlight dance. What song will it be your majesties?" the man asked.

"Ladies choice," Hiccup informed while looking at me.

"Our song?" Astrid smiled.

"Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical three," Hiccup told the DJ. The man nodded as Hiccup led Astrid to the middle of the floor. The music began as the two began, following every beat as the scene was done in the movie. For Hiccup and Astrid; this was always the song they danced to during the Mayorship parties, and to them, this was their song more than anything else. Their friends were watching, but the girls were recording as were a bunch of other people. Four minutes later, the song played off slow as Hiccup and Astrid were circling one another and their eyes locked.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the room began chanting.

"Should we humor them?" Astrid asked with her hands on his cheeks and Hiccups hands on her waist. Hiccup didn't even reply; he just captured her lips with his. Astrid's eyes closed and she melted into it just as before. The room began clapping and cheering as Hiccup and Astrid kept the kiss in effect with it being deep and passionate for a good minute. Afterward; the two broke it and smiled with their foreheads pressed together.

"Let's go home," Hiccup said as we pulled apart and he held Astrid's hand before leading her out of the room. As they were getting outside; the friends joined in waiting for the limousine.

"So, what's the plan tonight?" Eret asked.

"Well, prom is over, so just going home or…Still doing the Friday night sleepover?" Fishlegs inquired. Hiccup and Astrid looked at one another.

"Honestly, I'm not ready for tonight to be over yet," Astrid admitted.

"Me either. Let's all hit my house to party. Pretty sure Dad took Mom on a romantic getaway for the weekend and won't be back til Sunday night, and Gobber is visiting old friends in the city until Sunday morning. It's just us," Hiccup informed.

"I'm down," Astrid agreed.

"How about all of you?" Hiccup looked to the others.

"Let's do it!" they nodded, cheering. The limo pulled up as they thirteen of them climbed in, and the driver headed for Haddock Manor.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Saturday, June 4, 2022-12:15 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Reaching the home, Hiccup paid the driver of the limo and tipped him. Once inside, the friends split off to change out of their prom-wear and into something more comfortable. By 12:30 am, everyone was in the Great Room with the lights dimmed and some music playing from Hiccup's phone. The friends had sodas, chips, and snacks to feast on while just sitting around and talking to one another. Ringing interrupted the music as Hiccup glanced over to see Dagur calling; he reached for the device and put it on speakerphone.

"What's up, Dag?" Hiccup greeted.

" _Hey, just left the hotel when the last student departed. Where's my sister at?"_ Dagur inquired.

"My house with everyone else," Hiccup replied. "Small after prom party since Gobber and the folks are gone for the weekend,"

" _Oh, cool. Mind if I come to chill too? A-And bring Mala?"_ Dagur wondered.

"Sure," Hiccup said. "If you're spending the night; you can have one of the guest rooms,"

" _Awesome, thanks. See ya in a bit,"_ Dagur responded. Hiccup ended the call, and the music started again. The chatter from before picked up as Astrid was sitting very close to Hiccup. The night had been fantastic, and nobody wanted it to end. Around 1 am, Dagur arrived with Mala just as Fishlegs and Heather shared a small kiss.

"Hey, hey, hey…No smooching," Dagur stated quickly.

"Dagur, stop it!" Heather whined. "He's my boyfriend of six months,"

"I don't care if he dates you, but there will be none of that making out shit yet," Dagur huffed.

"Dagur, try to relax," Mala put her hand on his shoulder. "Your concern is admirable, but Heather is a young adult woman; we all grow up at some point,"

"But, but…Kissing leads to other things that she's not ready for," Dagur said.

"She's not, or your not, my friend?" Hiccup asked. Dagur put a finger up to protest, then he stopped and huffed. "Nurse Mala is right. Like Runa will always be my little girl, one day, I know I'll have to let her go. Heather always be your little sister, but you can't hold her back and protect her forever. All you can do is teach and try to prepare, but you can't hold their hands through life. Come on bro. You know I love Heather like a little sister too, but she's okay with Fishlegs; he's a good guy. I would have said something to her if she made a bad choice," he added.

"I guess your right," Dagur sighed.

"And you can call me Mala off campus," Mala smiled to them.

"Well, find a seat and join the party. Nothing crazy, just sitting around and talking with some music," Astrid offered. Dagur grabbed himself and Mala a drink; then they found a place on a couch to sit together. The time continued to tick away until 2:00 am. The funny part was that no one was tired, but Hiccup had turned the music down a bit, so it would be too loud.

Astrid was relaxing with her head on Hiccup's shoulder as everyone continued talking. Hiccup's phone started vibrating as he sat up and got it off the table. Astrid glanced over at the screen to see it read; _VG_.

 _Who is that?_ Astrid wondered. Hiccup slid the icon after pausing the music.

" _Incoming sniper. Move!"_ Viggo said quickly.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

" _Move now!"_ Viggo said again. Hiccup's eyes widened as he wrapped his arm around Astrid's shoulders and brought her to the ground quickly with himself covering her. Not more than a second later; a gunshot rang out, and the bullet hit where Hiccup and Astrid were sitting. Hiccup got up and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked. Astrid managed a nod, though, a bit scared. Hiccup got up and grabbed his phone. "I owe you for that,"

" _You got one more coming,"_ Viggo informed. A moment later someone rolled through the windows and got to their feet before him.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," Hiccup growled a bit as he ended the call and tossed the phone to the couch. The person charged at Hiccup as he readied himself. The man went to punch as Hiccup stopped it with his hand and the male stared with worry. "Big mistake…" he warned before turned the man's wrist until it gave a sickening crack. The male jerked his arm away and held it before tackling Hiccup down and managing to punch him in the side a few times; then get up to kick him even harder.

Hiccup cringed a bit. "Hiccup!" Astrid cried in concern for her boyfriend. "Leave him alone!" Hiccup was stuck down there, his side in pain. Astrid was worried that he might have bruised or broken a rib between earlier and now.

"You're the reason he got involved when we only wanted you…" the man said, moving to advance on her. Hiccup was still on the ground, hurt as Astrid backed up a little. "What's wrong? You'll let him get hurt and fight for you, but not the other way around?" he taunted.

Suddenly, Astrid smirked as she used the sides of the doorframe to hold herself up. "Of course I'd fight for him. I just didn't think you were dumb enough to fall for the scared little girl act," the man's eyes widened as Astrid and swung backward; then her legs rammed forward into the man's chest. "Rules of combat; never underestimate your opponent," Astrid said while letting herself onto the floor again as Hiccup lifted his head quickly. The man staggered a bit and stared at her.

"Why you little…" the man glared as he pulled a dagger and charged at her with it.

Astrid leaned to the opposite side and avoided it. "Expect the unexpected," she said; then grabbed his arm and slammed her elbow into it making the man drop the knife and grunt in pain. Hiccup's eyes widened. Astrid grabbed the guy by the back of his jacket and threw him over her shoulder and flat onto his back. The guy put his hands up as Hiccup rolled a bit to get up and see better.

"Stop! You win!" the man put his hands up after Astrid stomped her foot on his chest. Astrid got off and stepped back while the man got on his hands and knees. "It seems you're stronger than you look…" he panted.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of when you hurt the man I love," Astrid huffed as the man lowered his hands. Astrid curled her hand into a tight fist and a vicious glare in her eyes. Astrid grabbed his collar, "And never let your guard down," she growled before socking him in the face hard before letting go. The man froze a moment; then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and flopped back unconscious. Astrid panted as she moved closer to Hiccup.

"Um…What the fuck was that?" Hiccup asked in surprise.

"What?" Astrid pulled Hiccup to his feet.

"Seriously?!" Hiccup motioned to the unconscious guy on the floor now. "Where did all that come from? All the training sessions, everything I taught you…You never had the drive, the fire that I saw tonight. So what did it? What brought it on?"

Astrid blushed a bit. "Oh…Um, you I guess," Hiccup stared at her. "I couldn't just sit and do nothing while you got hurt for the second time tonight…What was the point of you teaching me all that stuff if I can't use it to defend not only myself but the people I care about too?"

Hiccup stared a moment longer before he cupped her cheeks and kissed her hard. Astrid blinked a bit but kissed back before Hiccup pulled away smiling. "You have no idea how proud of you I am right now," he said before hugging her. "You keep saying you don't feel like you, or you don't know who you are. But tonight, I hope you realized that you're every bit of what your family name lives up to. Never lose it, Ast. Never forget who you are. A Fearless Hofferson." Astrid could have cried at what Hiccup said, but she only hugged him tightly with a smile.

"Thank you," she whimpered a bit. Astrid always feared since losing her parents that she wasn't like her family. The Hofferson's were fearless, and tonight, Astrid proved to everyone in that room and herself that she was definitely one of them.


	69. No Regrets

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

No Regrets

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, June 4, 2022-2:50 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The authorities came and took the guy away after getting statements. Snotlout called his father to let him know that someone tried to shoot Hiccup and Astrid, and someone broke in. Spitelout said he'd deal with it when he went into work Monday morning. For now; the unconscious guy was hauled off and would sit in lock up. The party was still going. Everything was great except for the one little moment, so why should they stop? Hiccup still had the music going softly while he and Astrid were sitting together on the couch.

"How does your side feel?" Ragna inquired.

"Probably gonna bruise, but I'll live," Hiccup replied.

"You should see a doctor, Hiccup," Mala offered.

"Look, I'm okay. You don't gotta make a big deal outta something this small. Now, if I'd been shot or stabbed; it would be different. It was a couple of punches and kicks," Hiccup laughed a bit.

"Hey, we worry, okay?" Astrid sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder. Hiccup turned his head and kissed her forehead.

"And in case I didn't say it before, thank you, for saving my butt for once…" Hiccup said quietly.

"You would have done the same for me," Astrid giggled.

"Would have? Try _I have_ ," Hiccup retorted as he laid his head back and closed his eyes as the music changed. Soon, the clock was going on 3:20 am. The group of friends knew they would need some sleep or it would be a tiring day for all.

"Can we head upstairs?" Astrid whispered to him.

"Yeah, if you want. Tired?" Hiccup replied. Astrid gave him a look that Hiccup understood. "Oh, I get it now. You wanna pick up what we were doing at prom," Astrid blushed deeply but nodded. Hiccup got up as he lifted Astrid to her feet afterward. "You all staying for the night?" Hiccup asked the others.

"What's left of it, yeah," Eret chuckled. "Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"You can split up the guest rooms among yourselves. There are five available. Two down here past the family room, and three upstairs. One next to my parents' room, one down the hall from Astrid's, and another that sits over the three-car garage," Hiccup reminded.

"Can't we just crash in your room like always?" Snotlout wondered.

"Not tonight. Hiccup and I are gonna be up talking about some things; you guys should get some sleep," Astrid enlightened. "Night," she added as Hiccup led her out of the Great Room and to the elevator across the way.

"Jolgeir! Turn on the alarm system!" Hiccup called. "And cover up the Great Room window until it can be fixed,"

"Aye, sir!" the man replied.

 **. . .**

 _ **{3:30 am}**_

 _ **(Hiccup's Room)**_

Once they got past the bedroom door and closed it, Hiccup pulled Astrid close and leaned in to kiss her hard. As soon as Hiccup's lips made contact with Astrid's; they were into it as if nothing had stopped from earlier at the dance. The kisses were feverish, tongues colliding and in a battle for dominance, which Hiccup won with ease after just five minutes. Not long after that, Astrid pulled Hiccup down with her on the bed as it continued. Astrid's shirt was riding up a bit, and Hiccup could feel the skin of her sides and stomach. Hiccup laid himself between her legs, and they kept making out. Fifteen minutes into just kissing as Hiccup got back on his knees and Astrid moved up to meet him as their kisses were intense, deep, and passionate.

Astrid's hands were on Hiccup's shoulders, and creeping down to his chest while Hiccup's arms were on her hips. Hiccup broke the kiss and looked at her with a smile.

"You're really getting into this, aren't you?" Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"Aren't you?" Astrid countered.

"More than I should," Hiccup confessed.

"Same," Astrid panted a bit as they kissed a few more times. "What do you propose we do about this?"

"The same thing we agreed to do. Go with the flow and see where it leads," Hiccup advised while capturing her lips once more. Astrid let out a small moan as Hiccup trailed kisses along her jaw; then finally on her neck.

"O-Oh…Wow, that feels good," Astrid tilted her head to let him continue. When Hiccup started sucking on the place between the base of her neck and shoulder, Astrid moaned again, louder this time. "Mm…Hiccup!"

"Did I hit a sensitive spot?" Hiccup inquired kissed the same place softly.

"Y-Yes…" Astrid nodded. Hiccup moved back and captured her lips once more as Astrid melted into it as they continued making out for another five minutes. Astrid gripped the bottom of Hiccup's shirt and began to lift it up. Hiccup broke the kiss and looked at her now. "I want you,"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Hiccup inquired.

"I want you as mine for as long as you'll allow me to be yours," Astrid placed her hand on the side of his head, playing with his auburn hair a bit. "Make love to me," Hiccup searched her eyes and didn't find any lies or hesitation. However, he was holding back on continuing. Hiccup moved back and stood up leaving Astrid on the bed to look at Hiccup from behind. "Hiccup, what's wrong? I know that look; you're worried or nervous about something. I thought you'd want to do this,"

"I-I do want to, Astrid…I'm just scared," Hiccup sighed. Astrid moved next to him now and had him sit down on the bed beside her.

"Talk to me," Astrid offered.

Hiccup lowered his head with his arms resting on his thighs and hands together. "Olivia and I got together when she found out she was pregnant or at least after she came to find me, so we could keep up the lie everyone believed from the hospital; that I was her boyfriend. And in the beginning, it was just an act for everyone else who didn't know the truth. Over time, maybe when Liv was seven or so months; we shared a kiss that wasn't in front of anyone. It was only us, and that sparked something. At that point, we had discussed that it was more than just some act for the others, and we were actually dating because we liked one another and wanted to be together," Hiccup explained.

"You mean like you, and I are now?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded. "The first time we had sex was September 2021; we wanted to give things a little time after she gave birth for her cycle to return to normal, and get on birth control. Like I said…Normal everything. And it had been worth the wait; that night with her was…Something I'll never forget. But Astrid, the night Liv and I made love; I fell for her," Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "That was the night I fell in love with her, and I fell hard. And then two months later…She died,"

Astrid needed nothing else to understand why Hiccup was scared. Hiccup was with Olivia to keep up the boyfriend act; then they kissed and started like one another. But when they finally made love; Hiccup fell in love with her, two months before she passed away. Hiccup always knew Olivia would pass, but he didn't expect to fall for her and then lose her so quickly after they had sex; that's why it's been so hard to let her go.

Hiccup stood and faced the window. "I want to make love to you, Astrid; I'm just scared to fall; then lose it all. I don't want tonight to be the one where my feelings for you come full circle, and then I lose you. I can't…I can't go through it again," Hiccup put his head down.

"Hiccup, listen to me," Astrid rose and rested both her hands on his as Hiccup looked at Astrid now. "If doing this tonight makes you fall; then fall. I promise that I'm not going anywhere,"

"You can't promise that…" Hiccup sighed as Astrid cupped his cheek now.

"Yes, I can. Because we always end up together. Friends or lovers; it's us in one another's lives. You and I have been through everything. Some bumps and breaks along the way, yes. But we've always been in one another's lives. I firmly believe that it's because we're meant to be in each other's lives. We can handle anything thrown at us, but I want you to know this and never forget it. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean. I am with you," Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "I promise," Astrid smiled softly, and kissed his lips. As she began to pull away, Hiccup pulled her back against him and captured her lips again.

 **[Lemon Start]**

Just as it happened before; Hiccup and Astrid were locked in their making out. Their tongues danced together as Hiccup moved his hands up her back, lifting the shirt as he did so. Astrid and Hiccup broke the kiss only a moment for him to get her shirt off. The kissing resumed instantly as Hiccup walked Astrid backward to the edge of the bed. Hiccup's lips moved to Astrid's neck once more, causing her to moan a bit with her hands on his shoulders. Hiccup laid Astrid down on the bed before removing his own shirt and crawling over his girlfriend.

Astrid smiled as she backed up more and Hiccup followed her. The two started kissing one another again, but it didn't last long as Hiccup kissed her neck; then down her chest to the place between her breasts. Hiccup held both gently, massaging them and using his thumbs to circle her nipples.

"Mmm, you have a soft touch," Astrid informed. Hiccup kissed her lips again, then moved lower to bring one of Astrid's nipples into his mouth. Astrid moaned lightly as Hiccup began licking and sucking on it while still massaging the other. After a minute or so; he switched to do the same to the other. It was just past 4 am now, and it was clear the two wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon. Hiccup stopped playing with her breasts as he moved lower, kissing down her body to the waistband of her pajama pants. Hiccup glanced up at her before Astrid nodded for him to go ahead.

Hiccup drew her pants and underwear down and off of her body as Astrid blushed a little. Hiccup laid down between her legs and slightly on his side as he ran his fingers up and down her moist folds, then used his thumb to circle her clit lightly.

"Ah…" Astrid bit her bottom lip. Hiccup adjusted himself a bit as he locked his arms around her legs before running his tongue up her pussy, causing her to shiver and moan. Hiccup teased her with his tongue slowly for a minute or two; then he started eating her out. Astrid arched a bit, gripping the sheets beneath her body. "Gods, yes…" she breathed out. Hiccup kept this up for a little bit; tonguing her entrance and then up and down to play with her clit some more. "Mm, Hiccup…" she moaned, tilting her head back on the pillow.

Hiccup smiled as he continued his actions, two minutes in; he kicked it up a bit as Astrid's body reacted in trying to pull away but Hiccup held her there. Astrid's hands came up and rested on his head while she panted. Going on minute three of being eaten out, Astrid knew she was close to orgasming, and Hiccup did too because Astrid pulled his hair a bit while tightening her grip. Hiccup moved one hand and used his thumb to massage the place right above her clit.

"O-Oh! Gods! I'm…Gonna cum…" Astrid moaned. Hiccup didn't stop as Astrid's moans came quicker and her body began to jerk a bit. Panting, Astrid's hands gripped the sheets again. "Yes…Yes! Hiccup, I'm cumming!" Astrid cried out as she threw her head back and her back arched off the bed as she felt her orgasm wash over her like a wave. Hiccup moved his hand and pulled back his mouth, wiping it on the blanket as he looked up at her. "Fuck me…" she breathed out. As her body untensed and she laid on the bed again, still trying to catch her breath.

Hiccup turned to the side a bit and running his fingers over her sensitive pussy. Hiccup inserted one finger and began to pump it back and forth at a steady pace. As soon as Astrid began to moan again; Hiccup added a second finger and picked up speed and force.

"Oh, yes…" Astrid tilted her head again. Hiccup continued fingering her steadily, but after a minute; Hiccup started going harder and faster. "Gods!" Hiccup adjusted a bit to start tonguing at her clit again, sucking on it softly. "Mmm!" Hiccup curved his fingers up a bit and wriggled them around inside her core, which made Astrid arch again and moan louder.

"You're close again," Hiccup said once he felt her walls tighten on his fingers. "What do you say we get you all the way there," Hiccup sat up on his knees; this allowed him to get a better angle to move his wrist for more force in fingering her. Hiccup used his middle finger to stroke her G-Spot.

"Gods, right there!" Astrid almost screamed out. Hiccup moved forward more using another arm to balance as he kissed her passionately. Astrid kept moaning into his mouth; Hiccup went harder and faster once more as Astrid's back lifted off the bed. "Ah, Hiccup!" she felt herself squirt, eyes widening at the feeling. Hiccup removed his fingers and lifted them, revealing how wet they were and dripping a bit. Astrid panted hard, sprawled on the bed and unable to find the strength to move. Hiccup got off the bed to get a towel to wipe his hand; then he crouched before her.

Hiccup kissed her lips softly. Astrid sat up looking at the mess on the bed from what she apparently did. "Don't worry about the bed; I can wash the sheets later," he added. "Ready for the rest?"

"You have condoms, right?" Astrid questioned. Hiccup opened the drawer to his nightstand and revealed the box of four to her. Astrid also noticed the time was 4:20 am on Hiccup's alarm clock. _Has it really been almost an hour since we started?_ She asked herself.

"I'm a teenager with a girlfriend, and it's prom night, well, was; I know what happens most of the time between couples on a night like this. I wasn't expecting anything to happen tonight, but as I've told you…Expect the unexpected in all situations," Hiccup informed. Astrid swung her legs over the edge of the bed and kissed Hiccup again; it didn't take them long to start making out again. Hiccup stood up and brought Astrid up with him; her hands moved lower to Hiccup's shorts.

"No fair that you're not fully undressed as I am," Astrid mumbled against his lips.

"I guess you should make it fair," Hiccup challenged. Astrid pulled the shorts and boxers down as they fell and Hiccup stepped out of them. The first thing Astrid did was take in what she saw on Hiccup's lower half. Sure, she'd seen his arms, chest, and stomach plenty of times before, but this scene was different with him totally nude. Hiccup had well-toned legs regardless of the fact he wore a prosthetic. What caught her blue eyes was Hiccup's manhood, still soft, but she guessed he was about four to four and a half inches, which made her wonder how big be was when hard.

Going on 4:30 am, Astrid turned Hiccup and made him sit on the bed as she got between his legs, pushing them apart to give her access to his length. Hiccup didn't fight her; it was all part of the process anyway. Astrid placed her hand around his cock and stroked it a bit. Hiccup breathed out and relaxed as Astrid got on her knees and moved her head in to lick around the head before starting to suck up and down. Hiccup closed his eyes and ended up laying back on the bed, which gave Astrid more room to do her thing. Hiccup was laying back with his head on his arms as Astrid fixed herself into a more comfortable position to give Hiccup a blowjob.

"Gods…" Hiccup moaned a bit. Astrid noticed right away that Hiccup began to harden in her hand. Astrid pulled her mouth off and continued stroking up and down. It didn't take long for Astrid to see that Hiccup was about seven, maybe eight inches long and four inches around, girth-wise. Then again, it was dark, so she could be wrong, and it may be different because she hadn't seen a dick in a while. Astrid continued stroking, a bit faster than before. Hiccup was still moaning softer, enjoying the feeling. Astrid lowered her mouth and started sucking again. Two minutes in and Astrid took all of him in her mouth as Hiccup started panting a bit.

Astrid kept this up for another minute before sucking and stroking him at the same time, faster and harder. "Fuck yes…" Hiccup breathed out, one of his hands moving to be on her head. Astrid stayed focused while giving Hiccup a blow job and hand job. "That's it, baby…Just like that…" Hiccup told her. Astrid didn't stop now that she'd found what Hiccup liked. Panting, Hiccup brought his other hand down onto the bed, gripping the sheet a bit. "Almost there…" Another thirty seconds went by, but Astrid couldn't figure out why Hiccup hadn't cum yet. Was he just really good at holding back? Hiccup noticed the let up in her movements as he sat up.

"A-Am I doing something wrong here?" Astrid asked.

"No," Hiccup chuckled a little. "Your movements are becoming inconsistent because your hand is positioned that way; it's making your arm tired," Hiccup informed as he took her wrist and fixed it, so her arm was laying on his leg. "And I'll show you a little trick that I do when I just want to get off fast if horny and don't have time to lay in bed," he added as he took her thumb, index, and middle finger; then set them just under the head of his cock. "Use your wrist, not your arm; up and down," he stated.

Astrid started moving her wrist, which made her fingers stroke Hiccup's length up and down. "Like this?"

"You got it," Hiccup laid back again. Astrid started moving a bit faster as Hiccup began breathing heavy. Astrid decided to see if she could make it better; she lowered her mouth again and started sucking while letting her three fingers move up and down in long strokes in time with her sucking along the length as well. "Gods…That's it, babe. Just like that…Don't stop…I'm almost there," he panted with his eyes closed. Astrid moved her fingers faster, applying very light pressure. "Fuck, I'm cumming…" Hiccup's hips arched a bit as Astrid pulled her mouth off and kept stroking while Hiccup came; it leaked over the top and onto Astrid's hand. Hiccup took deep breaths as Astrid removed her hand and smiled.

Hiccup peered at her, still enjoying his feeling as Astrid licked a little bit of the semen and giggled. "You came a lot…And taste pretty good,"

"I'm glad you approve?" Hiccup replied, unsure of how to answer that one. He sat up now, "There's a towel on top of the hamper…" Hiccup told her. Astrid got up and cleaned her hand off; then handed it Hiccup to wipe his dick clean; he was still hard, though. Hiccup tossed the rag and brought Astrid against him as they started making out again. Hiccup backed her against the bed and laid her down on it as he reached for the box and pulled a condom out. Hiccup tore the wrapper open with his teeth and carefully removed the protection from the package. Hiccup tossed the wrapper to the side, not caring where it fell while he slid the condom over his length and pinched the top free of air.

Hiccup crawled over Astrid as she stared up at him while spreading her legs. "I'm ready," Astrid told him before he could ask. Hiccup positioned himself at Astrid's entrance, teasing the area a few times before guiding himself inside her core. Astrid tensed for a moment or two, but relaxed. Once inside fully, Hiccup set his hands for balance then started rocking his hips back and forth slowly. "You can go faster and harder if you want," Hiccup adjusted himself and began to do as asked. "Ah, that feels good…" Astrid moaned.

Missionary position as it was known went on for about fifteen minutes at a steady speed and force. It was just about 5 am when the two switched to allow Hiccup on his knees while he held Astrid's hips and thrust into her that way. Astrid seemed to like it a lot whether it was the feeling or the fact Hiccup was doing most of the work so she could enjoy herself. This continued for ten minutes before Hiccup got Astrid's legs over his arms while he was standing up and had her on the edge of the bed; it went on for another ten. After that; Astrid brought Hiccup down on the bed so she could be on top. Her legs were on either side of him, hands on his chest while bringing her hips back and forth for five minutes; then she adjusted to be bouncing up and down on his cock.

Hiccup brought his hands up to massage her breasts while she rode him. "Mmm," Astrid moaned before bending down and kissing Hiccup again. The two made out a bit while Astrid rocked her hips still. Hiccup's hands rested on her hips as he started thrusting up to meet her movements. "Fuck yes…" she cried out. Hiccup moved a bit harder and faster as Astrid whipped her head back at the feeling. "So good…" Fifteen minutes of this took place before Astrid ended up having a surprise orgasm. Hiccup gave her a moment or two to recover before pulled out and having Astrid laid down with him behind her. Hiccup pushed back in while holding her leg up and continued to thrust.

When the two decided to switch positions again; it was ten minutes later and nearing 6 am. This time, Hiccup rolled Hiccup on her hands and knees while he was holding her hips and thrusting in and out of her hard and fast. "Mm, yeah! Faster…" Astrid asked. Hiccup did so as Astrid gripped the pillows with her hands, lowered her head and breathing heavy. "Harder…" Hiccup began pounding into her. "Oh, yes!" she practically screamed.

"Ssh…" Hiccup reminded. Astrid managed a nod while he continued. Eight minutes more before Hiccup pulled out, and Astrid whined as the feeling left her. Hiccup flipped her onto her back as he bent down and put her legs around his waist. Astrid didn't understand what was happening until Hiccup lifted her up pushed his cock into her core while holding her on his waist with no support behind them. Astrid had her arms around his neck while Hiccup bounced her up and down. This continued five or so minutes before Astrid felt her back against the door and Hiccup still thrusting upward into her pussy.

"Thor, yes! Hiccup…" Astrid moaned as she cupped Hiccup's cheeks and began kissing him fiercely. Astrid couldn't believe this; Hiccup had the amazing upper body strength to fuck her this way. And Gods it felt incredible too. It was reaching 6:15 am now; the two lovers were still going and covered in sweat. Hiccup moved Astrid off the wall and back to the bed; he put his hands under her thighs, pushing them against her chest while he continued to pound into her hard and fast. "Fucking Odin above! I'm right there…Hiccup; I'm gonna cum,"

"Do it…Cum for me again," Hiccup said. "I'm gonna cum too," Astrid smiled as she pulled Hiccup down by his neck to kiss him deeply. Hiccup began to thrust a bit deeper from this angle, and Astrid felt it hit her hard. When Hiccup pushed in; she arched her back a bit.

"So close…" Astrid cried out. "Don't stop," she pleaded.

"I won't. Fuck," Hiccup drew his hips back once more and pushed inside hard, fast, and deep; enough to hit her G-Spot.

"Gods! Right there…Yes, fuck me, Hiccup. Fuck me hard and fast! I'm right there…Mm," Astrid moaned with pleasure. Hiccup moved as hard and as fast as he could within her; it only brought him closer to his own climax. Astrid's walls tightened around him as he tried to hold back. The sounds of hard breathing and slapping wet flesh were audible now. Astrid dragged her nails across Hiccup's back, causing him to grunt.

"Damn it; I can't. I'm gonna cum," Hiccup panted as he reached a hand down and massaged her clit a little.

"Ah, yes! I'm cumming! I'm cumming! Hiccup!" Astrid arched her back again, this time cumming hard and squirting all over Hiccup's cock and bed.

"Fuck! Astrid!" Hiccup moaned as he thrust in a final time and released hard and fast. The two didn't dare try and move for nearly ten minutes until the height of the orgasms passed. At 6:35 am and still breathing heavy; Hiccup moved his hand back up and laid down carefully to kiss his girlfriend softly a few times.

 **[Lemon End]**

Hiccup pushed himself up around 6:45 am and carefully pulled out of Astrid while holding the condom in place so it wouldn't leak inside her. Hiccup sat on the edge of the bed as he pulled it off, tied the opening off, and threw it in the trash bin next to his bed. Hiccup grabbed the towel and let Astrid clean off first; then Hiccup did himself. It was now almost 7 am as Hiccup and Astrid laid in the bed together, only a thin sheet as coverage. Hiccup laid on his back as Astrid was curled up beside him and her arm draped over his midsection. The two shared another passionate kiss before sleep took them both and their last thought before that happened was that between last night and this morning; there were no regrets.


	70. One Of Those Days

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

One Of Those Days

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, June 4, 2022-10 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Running on five and a half hours of sleep was difficult as the friends began to awaken from their long night of hanging out. It went from Prom at 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm; then more hanging out as friends on Friday night to about 3:30 am this morning, and that included the whole scene of Hiccup and Astrid almost being shot, then the fight that took place. After that; everyone decided it would be best to call it a night and get some sleep. Though Hiccup and Astrid stated they were going to Hiccup's room to talk about a few things, so there was no telling when they went to bed. Most of the friends were up between 9:30 and 10 am, slowly making their way downstairs after using the bathroom, possibly a quick shower, or just getting dressed.

"Morning," Fishlegs greeted everyone as he tiredly moved to kiss Heather's cheek.

"Sleep well?" Ruffnut asked Eret and Tuffnut.

"Meh," Eret shrugged.

"It was decent," Snotlout stated as he got a coffee mug and poured himself some; then added milk and sugar before sitting next to Minden who was having a glass of orange juice. Nadia and Ragna still looked half asleep as they came in to greet everyone. Thuggory and Camicazi weren't far behind them five minutes later.

"How'd everyone else do?" Dagur asked as he and Mala were leaning against the counter, each with a mug of coffee in hand.

"Cami and Thug had the room over the garage. The four us shared the room down the hall from Astrid's," Nadia yawned.

"And we four shared the one next to Stoick and Valka's," Tuffnut informed.

"Anyone seen Hiccup or Astrid this morning?" Minden inquired softly. The group looked at one another, then shook their heads.

"No, actually," Heather stated. "And I thought they'd be up first. I know Hiccup is used to late nights with Runa, but still getting up at the crack of dawn with her. And that happens even when Runa isn't here,"

"Well, maybe they were up later than us?" Ragna offered.

"That's right. Astrid did say she and Hiccup were going to talk for a bit, though," Mala chimed in after sipping her coffee.

"Well, I'm sure they'll be up soon," Hagen said as he walked into the kitchen and threw a towel over his shoulder before smiling. "How about some breakfast?" the friends nodded as Hagen got to work making all the Saturday morning usuals for the group.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:45 am}**_

Almost two hours later, and still no sign of Hiccup and Astrid joining them. It was nearly noon, and everyone was sitting around in the Family Room.

"Maybe we should just go up there and see if they're okay? What if one of them is sick? Or both? And Hiccup was hurt last night too," Mala suggested.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Dagur agreed. The group all got up and walked up the stairs.

"We'll check on Astrid first since her room is right here," Ruffnut stated as Minden knocked on the door twice with her knuckle.

"Astrid?" Minden asked. No answer. Heather moved to the front as she opened the door and looked around. Astrid wasn't in there.

"Astrid?" Heather tried. The friends moved inside while Camicazi went over to the bathroom and looked around in there.

"Nothing. Astrid isn't in here," Snotlout shrugged.

"It was late; maybe she fell asleep in Hiccup's room?" Thuggory offered. Quietly, the friends exited Astrid's room and moved down the hall to get to Hiccup's. Dagur took the lead this time and knocked a few times. No answer.

"Hiccup? Astrid? Either of you in there?" Dagur called. Nothing still. Dagur tried the handle and found it was locked.

"Hiccup never locks his door," Fishlegs informed. Dagur moved over to the Sitting Room/Library doors and tried one of those handles; it opened. Dagur put a finger to his lips as they carefully made their way inside and over to the doors that led into Hiccup's bedroom. Snotlout got their first and silently opened the double doors as every headed into the master bedroom.

It was a sight to see indeed. All of their eyes laid on the carelessly tossed clothes that Hiccup and Astrid were wearing just hours before on the floor. Among all that was a torn open condom wrapper next to the bed. On the nightstand was a box containing four condoms, which it was evident now that one had been used. The bed looked like there had been a wrestling match. And then laying under a sheet where the two people they'd been looking for. Astrid was on her left side with the covers drawn up to cover her front, but her bare back was against Hiccup's chest. Hiccup's part of the sheet revealed down to his hips, but no further and his arm was locked securely around Astrid's waist.

"Oh, my Gods…" Heather gasped. "They fucked last night!" she said louder than she meant to. Fishlegs quickly covered her mouth as Astrid flinched a little bit and opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she laid eyes on was her's and Hiccup's friends standing in the room looking completely shocked. The events of last night hit Astrid like a pile of bricks as she realized she was lying naked with Hiccup in bed and all of their friends were staring. Unsure of what else to do; Astrid screamed while clutching the covers closer. Instantly, Hiccup reacted by sitting up.

"What is it? What's wrong, babe?" Hiccup asked with concern. However, Astrid didn't need to answer as Hiccup saw the group standing there. "OUT. NOW!" he demanded coldly. The friends scampered out quickly as Hiccup looked back at Astrid. "It's okay; they're gone…" he laid beside her as she turned to hide against his chest.

"I thought you locked the door," Astrid said quickly.

"I did, I forgot about the Sitting Room…" Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry,"

"It's alright. We didn't have our minds on making sure no one caught us last night," Astrid stated. "What time is it?" Hiccup leaned over her as he found his shorts on the ground; then checked his phone in the pocket.

"Going on noon," Hiccup reported. "That's probably why they came looking for us because we didn't come down for breakfast,"

"I guess it's out now," Astrid mumbled.

"We couldn't hide it forever, babe," Hiccup reminded.

"We knew we couldn't hide our relationship forever. We could have absolutely hidden that we had sex last night…" Astrid informed.

"Ast, it happens. We can't go back and change it now, so we might as well embrace it and move forward," Hiccup insisted.

"I know, you're right," Astrid nodded as Hiccup used his arm as an anchor to hold himself up a bit.

"Do you regret what we did?" Hiccup asked while moving some of her hair out of her eyes.

"No. Do you?" Astrid inquired.

Hiccup shook his head. "Not at all. But we should probably figure out where this puts us, relationship-wise,"

"Well, we're dating and sexually active, unless last night was a one-time thing for now until we have more time in," Astrid pointed out. "I guess that is only decided on if we want to do it again. I mean, do you or…Would you want to?"

"I won't lie; I would. Last was god damn incredible. How about you?" Hiccup asked. Astrid nodded to him, blushing a little. "But obviously; it can't be an all the time deal,"

"No, of course not," Astrid agreed. "And we should take proper precautions,"

"Understandable," Hiccup said. "Are we going to tell them we're together? And have been since May 12th?"

"We probably likely suspect it anyway with all the kissing we've done, and now this. What do we say when they ask?" Astrid inquired curiously now.

"It's our business, Ast; we don't have to tell them anything," Hiccup smiled.

"True," Astrid closed her eyes. Hiccup leaned in and kissed her lips lightly Astrid returned it as they looked into one another's eyes now. "We should get up and dressed," The two got out of bed. Hiccup pulled on his boxers and shorts but didn't bother with a shirt. Instead, Astrid grabbed Hiccup's shirt and put it on with her sleep shorts. The shirt was longer than the shorts, so it looked like she wasn't wearing anything under it. "Alright, let's go face it," she offered her hand to him. Hiccup took it as the two exited the bedroom and headed downstairs.

 **. . .**

 _ **{12:05 pm}**_

"My Gods; I'm going to have that image etched in my brain until the day I die!" Snotlout shook his head after they all got into the Great Room.

"Why does it bother you? You've all known when he has sex!" Camicazi accused.

"And you've always been casual about it," Thuggory added.

"The day we came here to apologize; we heard him and Olivia going at it," Eret pointed.

"We've never seen the after images of it!" Heather screeched.

"That wasn't them going at it; it was Hiccup kissing her neck," Snotlout rolled his eyes.

"I've never seen clothes all over the room," Heather covered her eyes, shaking her head.

"Or the condom box out," Ruffnut added.

"Or an open wrapper on the floor," Tuffnut jumped in.

"Or him laying in bed all snuggled up like that," Minden interjected.

"In his defense," Fishlegs started.

"In _our_ defense, none of you should have been in my room. If the door was locked; then it was a good indicator that I didn't want people barging in," Hiccup's voice cut through the chatter, quickly silencing them. Hiccup was only in his basketball shorts, the waistline of his boxers showing a bit. Astrid looked like she was wearing a knee-length nightgown, but it was only Hiccup's shirt from last night. Astrid was leaning against Hiccup; her arms wrapped around his midsection was Hiccup's arm was around her shoulder. Astrid's hair was sloppily put back in a ponytail while Hiccup's hair did its usual craziness.

"Hiccup, we're sorry. We all got up between 9:30 and 10 am; we just got worried something was wrong when you and Astrid hadn't come down yet," Mala informed softly.

"Hiccup and I didn't get to sleep until about 7 am," Astrid remarked.

"Oh, I bet," Eret mumbled.

"What was that?" Hiccup asked.

"Nothing; I just agreed with Astrid that you guys were up late _talking_ like you said," Eret said quickly, not wanting to invoke Hiccup's wrath.

"Uh huh. We both know what you said is bullshit, Eret. Don't make the mistake of lying to my face; it's the fastest way to lose my friendship and trust. You were well warned of what will happen if you fuck up this time," Hiccup stated coldly. Eret had nothing else to say. "Look; I'm gonna tell you what's up and then everyone is gonna drop it or have a personal problem with me, got it?"

"Yes," they replied.

"Astrid and I have been dating since May 12th," Hiccup informed calmly.

"I thought you weren't ready to be with her yet," Thuggory asked.

"That's why we were test dating; just seeing how things were," Astrid spoke up now. "Hiccup and I kissed; then he confessed it didn't feel right to kiss when we weren't together. So we agreed to keep things between us quiet and see how dating would go. It was for if Hiccup could see if he was ready or not, sometimes you don't know until you try,"

"And last night?" Tuffnut asked. Hiccup glared. "What, come on, man…We all saw it. You know we know,"

"And you damn well know it's none of your business, but just to clarify things…Yes, Astrid and I made love," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest. "Everything started when you found us in the bathroom at Prom when we were making out. I told Astrid we could pick it up later on. And we started after we got upstairs around 3:30 am. One thing led to another, and it happened. I don't regret it,"

"Neither do I," Astrid nodded as she held his hand.

"So, you two are boyfriend and girlfriend? Or have been for about a month?" Minden asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded as Astrid went to sit down, then she hissed a bit. "You okay?"

"Mmhm, just a little sore," Astrid replied.

"Did I hurt you at all?" Hiccup inquired. "I mean, I only did what you asked me to do,"

"I'm good, babe. Relax," Astrid giggled as Hiccup turned his back to sit down next to her. Astrid cuddled up to him as they shared a small kiss.

"So, what's the plan for the second half of the day?" Hiccup asked casually. Not wanting to make Hiccup mad about the subject; they let it go. After a little time as they were all tired; they grabbed some lunch and went into the basement once they decided to watch a movie in the home theater room to relax.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Saturday, June 11, 2022-2 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Thor's Beach)**_

A week had passed since the first time Hiccup, and Astrid made love to one another, and they hadn't done it since. Later on last Saturday, Hiccup confessed that he would feel better about doing it if Astrid were on some kind of birth control. Astrid agreed, and now they had to wait for Astrid to start her period for the birth control to be most effective. Astrid' last period had been May 11th to the 15th, and she knew her next one was coming within a day or two. Astrid chose to use the pill, and the directions were to start them on the first day of your period, so that's what she would do. Astrid was carrying them in her purse since the appointment on the 8th; just in case, she started a bit off schedule. Only their friends knew that they had sex, Hiccup didn't want that argument with his parents. However, Hiccup and Astrid planned to tell everyone else today about them dating.

All week had been more graduation preparation. Ordering class rings, practicing lining up, and what not. Next Saturday was graduation, and their High School careers were over. Aside from all that; it was June 11th. Today was a big day; it was Runa's first birthday, and there was a party for her at the park. Hiccup took care of the food, drinks, decorations, location, and invitations himself. The place chosen was Thor's Beach; it was a place that basically sat under Raven Point Hills, a small, private beach for the residents of Berk and other people who knew about it. There were trees, rocks, picnic tables, and a beach area that allowed people into the lake.

Stoick, Valka, Maeva, Bard, Birger, Gobber, Spitelout, Frida, Adelaide, Snotlout, Alvin, Termagant, Fishlegs, Heather, Dagur, Mala, Minden, Nadia, Ragna, Thuggory, Eret, Camicazi, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut had all been invited. However, the party was all set up, and everyone had arrived; except for Hiccup and the birthday girl guest of honor.

"Stoick, why don't you call him?" Bard suggested. Stoick got out his phone and dialed Hiccup's number, placing it to his ear. After a few moments, he lowered it with a sigh.

"No answer," Stoick reported.

"Maybe he's running behind in getting the cake?" Ruffnut tried.

"Cake is over there," Camicazi pointed to the square object on the picnic table.

"So what do we do?" Birger wondered. "We can't start without him or Runa," he added. Astrid was sitting on one of the benches, thinking hard. The first time this subject came up, Hiccup was really quiet about it. And the more she sat down and pondered where he could be, the more it became obvious. This was Runa's first birthday and the second person who should here to celebrate the day wasn't. Olivia. The minute Astrid realized it; she got her phone and sent Hiccup a message.

 _You[2:03 pm]  
Everyone here. Where u?_

About a minute later, she got heard a ding and checked her phone.

 **My Hic[2:05 pm]  
** _ **Sitting w/ Roo. I think u can guess where.**_

Astrid figured that much on her own.

 _You[2:06 pm]  
Had a feeling u might b. R u ok?_

"Astrid, who are you messaging? Is that Hiccup?" Heather asked.

"Yeah," Astrid replied.

"Why is he answering you and nobody else?" Snotlout mumbled. "Tell him to hurry his ass up,"

Astrid was about to make a smartass remark, but my phone alerted her of a message; she glanced down at the screen.

 **My Hic[2:08 pm]  
** _ **No…**_

 _You[2:09 pm]  
Want me 2 come sit w/u?_

 **My Hic[2:09 pm]  
** _ **Just keep the others from harassing me. I need a little time is all.**_

Astrid frowned a bit as she looked at the others. "Hey, stop messaging him,"

"Why?" Tuffnut inquired.

"He wants to be left alone right now," Astrid enlightened.

"It's his daughter's first birthday…" Eret said.

"Exactly, and while we're all here to celebrate it with him; there is one person who isn't. Runa's mother, Olivia," Astrid explained. That's when it hit everyone where Hiccup was and what was going on.

"The lad is at the cemetery…" Gobber said softly. "Let's just put on some music and wait for him; I'm sure he won't be too long," the man suggested. Feeling that there wasn't much choice; Dagur got the music going, and everyone just sat around talking. Astrid got a message on her phone ten minutes later; she smiled seeing what Hiccup said to her.

 _ **My Hic[2:23 pm]  
Thanks for making them stop, and understanding that I'm having one of my days. You're the best, babe. I'll be there soon. Promise. (heart)**_

 _You[2:24 pm]  
You're welcome, baby. We'll be here when you're ready. (heart)_

After she sent it; the message showed delivered and read, but no replying. Astrid knew that these days could happen, and she didn't mind. Hiccup was entitled to have bad days, and this was one of them.


	71. Full Of Surprises

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Full Of Surprises

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, June 11, 2022-3:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Thor's Beach)**_

"I think we should go check on him, Stoick…" Valka shook her husband again.

"Val, leave the boy be!" Stoick and Gobber stated together.

"You know he's having a rough day, Valka, and he's not alone," Maeva offered.

"Yeah, he has Runa with him," Birger smiled. Astrid sighed heavily. Hiccup just wanted to sit with his daughter in front of Olivia's grave for a bit. It's not like it was a bit deal, but it has been about an hour since he promised he would arrive soon. Astrid kept checking her phone, or the skies above to see if Hiccup was flying in on Toothless. The cemetery wasn't that far away, an easy five-minute flight on a Night Fury.

"There he is!" Heather yelled, pointing up. Astrid got to her feet quickly as Toothless gave his signature roar of an incoming; then landed moments later. Hiccup changed his leg gear and got off Toothless before removing Runa from the from carrier backpack.

"I'll take her, Hic," Astrid offered. Hiccup handed Runa over, and then he got the backpack off to fold it up and put it away.

"Dada," Runa reached for him. Hiccup took her from Astrid, and she held on to him tightly. Astrid looked at Hiccup's face; he looked upset, and she could tell that he might have been crying not too long ago.

"I know the answer is probably no, but I'm gonna ask anyway...Are you okay?" Astrid inquired lightly.

"I will be eventually. Maybe not today, but one day," Hiccup replied as he used his free arm to hug Astrid. "Thanks for being so understanding," Astrid smiled and nodded to him.

"Oh, there's the birthday girl!" Valka beamed. "Come here my girl," Runa just kept her head on Hiccup's shoulder.

"How about me, Princess?" Maeva tried. Runa didn't make any effort to move towards her.

"I think its an _I only wany my daddy_ day," Frida giggled a bit as Termagant nodded.

"As it should be," Alvin chuckled.

"He is her father," Snotlout added with a nod.

"Happy birthday, lassie," Gobber ticked her side a bit, and she giggled some. "How you doing, lad?" he asked looking at Hiccup.

"One day at a time, Uncle Gobber," Hiccup responded.

"That's all ya can do, son," Stoick patted his shoulder. "Now, how about we get this party started," Hiccup nodded as he carefully laid out a blanket and set Runa on it with some of her toys and stuffed animals. Toothless circled a few times before laying down behind her and then resting his head on his front paws with closed eyes.

"Good boy, Toothless," Hiccup smiled a bit.

"Hiccup, can I go sit next to Toothless and play with Runa?" Birger asked.

"Sure ya can," Hiccup ruffled his hair.

"Sweet. You're the best brother ever," Birger hurried to join Runa on the blanket. Hiccup held onto those words, Birger calling him the best brother. Hiccup's hand subconsciously moved to his neck where the chain with his and Olivia's rings was hidden beneath the shirt. Astrid saw it, but she couldn't be upset. Hiccup fell in love with Olivia, then married, and had to lose her all in such a short time. Astrid moved next to Hiccup and linked her hand to his before laying her head on his shoulder. Hiccup flinched a bit but looked at her. Astrid smiled up at Hiccup as he tucked the rings away and rested his head on hers, smiling back.

"You know…It's okay to think about her on a day like this, Hiccup. After all, you two made that beautiful little girl over there," Astrid offered. Hiccup gave a half-chuckle; it was so far from the truth. And Astrid knew that, but he appreciated what she was trying to say.

"Thanks, Ast," Hiccup kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's get something to eat," he added as Astrid and Hiccup moved to the food table where everyone else was getting a plate. The time ticked by with everyone sitting around and talking. The conversation was whatever came up. Right now; it was how graduation prep was going. Hiccup was sitting quietly at the table with a notebook out and writing in it. Astrid wasn't sure what he was doing, but he seemed pretty focused on it.

"What are you working on?" Astrid decided to ask curiously.

"Little something for graduation," Hiccup said calmly.

"Oh, yeah? What's that, son?" Stoick asked.

"Hey, you never told us about the meeting with my dad either," Thuggory mentioned.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked.

"The day of the Johann thing at school. You had joined us later on because my dad had to talk to you about something," Thuggory reminded. Hiccup arched a brow, then he remembered.

"Oh, that…Yeah, that was something regarding graduation too," Hiccup mumbled.

"You don't seem happy about whatever it is," Termagant pointed out.

"Hiccup, what did Mr. Meatsen say?" Valka asked softly.

"I, uh, I'm Valedictorian…" Hiccup said quietly.

"Wait, what did you just say?!" the group asked quickly.

"I'm Valedictorian! That's what the meeting was about. Mr. Meatsen told me that I was chosen as this year's Valedictorian," Hiccup said loud enough for them to hear.

"Oh, my Gods! Hiccup, that's amazing and such an honor!" Astrid hugged him tightly. "Congratulations,"

"Thanks, I guess…" Hiccup tried to smile. Valka hugged him next and kissed the top of his head. Everyone else gave him a handshake or pat on the back.

"So what gives? Why aren't you happy about it?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "It's not that I'm not happy; I just don't like all the extra work involved with a small timeframe. This is something that should have been told to me as soon as finals were over,"

"What more do you have to do?" Heather asked.

"The usual; a speech to motivate all the new graduates for adulthood. And a song to hype everyone up. I don't think he gets how long it takes to prepare for that kind of thing in just a few short weeks when I've had a lot of other things going on," Hiccup stated.

"When's your deadline?" Alvin asked.

"Mr. Meatsen wants my song choice and speech for proof-reading on the 17th," Hiccup enlightened.

"And no luck with finding a song?" Astrid frowned. "None. I have more inspirational songs than I can even keep track of, but none of them would be suited for graduation and moving forward. All my songs are to push people who are feeling down and out to keep fighting," he explained.

"So, what if you made one?" Gobber offered.

"That takes twice as long," Hiccup replied.

"Bull. I've seen you whip together a song in a week. It was one of yer military ones," Gobber accused. "What was it called…The Warrior Song,"

"That's different, Uncle Gobber. I knew the genre I wanted, the message to send, the type of instruments to use. All of that was easy for me because it's what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the type of man I described, work alongside the others who had the same goal…Writing music to talk about what servicemen and women do was a breeze, but this? Something to inspire people after graduation…I got nothing," Hiccup informed.

Astrid felt bad; she knew Hiccup had to be frustrated about this and even more bothered talking about the military thing again. Hiccup groaned as he lowered his head onto his arms and sighed. The others frowned a bit. Today was supposed to be a good one. Everyone had already eaten and sat around to talk. The cake would happen in a bit, but Runa was pretty content with Toothless and Birger around, so there was no need to disturb her. Astrid didn't like that Hiccup still couldn't see what she did; that he was every bit of the man he wanted to be like. However, she got an idea as she moved and tapped his shoulder.

"Can I sit with you?" Astrid asked. Hiccup adjusted himself as Astrid sat on his lap. Instantly, Hiccup held her close; his arms around her waist. "Hiccup, look at me," Astrid said as Hiccup looked into her blue eyes. "I know you can't join the military anymore, and I know how much that bothers you, but why can't yourself as I do?"

"That depends on how you see me, Milady," Hiccup muttered.

"I see a brave, courageous, confident, caring, loving, intelligent, strong young man who is a wonderful son, nephew, cousin, friend, father, and boyfriend. And you know what else?" Astrid lifted his chin a bit as he eyed her. "He's a hero too. When everyone was at a loss of what to do, and scared, resigning themselves to their fate of dying to a Red Death…You stepped up and risked yours and Toothless's life to protect us because you realized that Toothless was immune to its control and were the only ones who could stop it,"

Hiccup looked down a bit. "I just did what I had to do at that moment, Astrid,"

"Which is something a soldier would do, Hiccup. Men and women willing to sacrifice their lives to save a lot more, to protect their home. You were willing to do that without any hesitation," Astrid stated as Hiccup glanced at her. "What about when Johann threatened to kill me if you didn't give him the Dragon Eye, the object you said would lead those bad people to a Bewilderbeast. The dragon that can control others and a madman who wants world domination with dragons wanted it. You refused to give up your future over that thing, and you destroyed it. Which saved a bunch of dragons and people,"

"You didn't do any of those things as a soldier. You've just been you standing up for what you believe in and refusing to lay down when the people you care about, the people who live here, and the island itself is in danger. You don't need to be a soldier to be that kind of man you describe in your songs; the ones who go out and are willing to sacrifice their lives for the safety and protection of our home. You don't need a uniform with dog tags and a gun to be the kind of man who does those things. You are that man, Hiccup and you've always been him by being yourself. You just need to keep being you, Hiccup. Because you are a hero," Astrid smiled.

Hiccup stared into her eyes as he leaned his head up and captured her lips with his. Astrid's blinked once or twice, but she kissed him back. After ten seconds, Hiccup pulled back. "Thank you, Astrid. I don't know how you manage to do it, but you always manage to make me see things from a different perspective,"

"I'm not your best friend/girlfriend for nothing, you know," Astrid giggled a bit as Hiccup hugged her tightly.

"She's your what now?" Valka blinked.

"When did this happen?" Stoick asked.

"My girlfriend, and May 12th. Yes, we've been keeping it quiet. Testing things, seeing how it went going from best friends to a couple," Hiccup informed.

"Ah, well…About damn time," Gobber snickered with a few others.

"Was everyone waiting for us to get together?" Astrid asked.

"YES!" they all yelled, shocking Hiccup and Astrid.

"Well, I appreciate you saying all those things, Astrid. Really, I do…But it doesn't help me figure something out for graduation," Hiccup chuckled. Astrid tapped her chin a bit.

"Guess I'm not much help there. I wouldn't know what I'd want to be listening to someone tell me about never giving up and always climbing for my dreams," Astrid shrugged with a smile.

Hiccup's looked at her quickly. "Wait…What did you just say?"

"That I'm not much help?" Astrid wondered.

"No, no. The other thing about climbing for your dreams," Hiccup said.

"Oh! It was something my dad always told me. Life's a climb and never give up because the work put in to get where I wanted to be would be worth it. It doesn't matter how fast I moved, or what was waiting for me, but keep climbing no matter what," Astrid informed. Without warning, Hiccup cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply. After a second and before Astrid could return it, Hiccup pulled away with a wide smile.

"You're a genius, babe!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"I…Am?" Astrid questioned as Hiccup turned a bit, leaving Astrid to sit beside him while he started flipping through pages. "Did my words inspire you or something?"

"You have no idea…" Hiccup said while still flipping through the notebook until he landed on something. "I started this a long time ago when Mom and Dad would argue with me about joining the army. After the Red Death thing; I picked it up again in the hospital after I lost my leg. I never finished it because I lost my drive to keep it going, and couldn't think of the overall message. But thanks you, Milady…I know exactly how to rewrite and finish it with a new motivation and inspiration," he started writing in the notebook. Astrid looked at the others as they shrugged, but didn't say anything, so they didn't shake Hiccup's focus.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:45 pm}**_

The only break Hiccup took was to do cake and presents with his daughter, but as it stayed lighter longer, and the weather was near perfect; everyone decided to keep hanging out. Runa was actually fast asleep on her blanket with Toothless curled around her protectively.

"How do you think he's doing on it?" Gobber leaned towards Stoick.

"Hard to say; he's pretty locked in," Stoick stated.

"That's Hiccup, though. When that boy is determined, not much shakes it," Spitelout reminded. Suddenly, Toothless lifted his head up and started growling. Hiccup's attention shifted instantly as he looked at his Night Fury.

"What's wrong, Toothless?" Hiccup asked. The dragon's eyes moved towards the bushes and trees, then snorted. Just as Hiccup rose to his feet, someone rushed forward to tackle him from behind.

"Hiccup, look out!" Astrid yelled quickly. Hiccup turned around just in time to bend himself to the side and let the man lose balance and fall to his face. Hiccup stood tall again as the man quickly rolled onto his back. Hiccup wasn't facing him; the man got up and went to attack again. Hiccup sighed as he cracked his neck by rotating it.

"You should have stayed down," Hiccup warned as the man was right behind him. Hiccup didn't bother looking as he drove his elbow into the male's chest hard, then brought his arm up, so that the back of his fist hit the man in the face. The male stumbled slightly as Hiccup turned to punch him in the gut next. The male tried to punch Hiccup, but Hiccup caught his wrist and twisted it slightly. Hiccup landed an uppercut under the chin, then he hooked his leg behind the man's ankle, driving it out so the man would begin to fall. Hiccup pivoted his foot and brought the other one up to kick the man in the stomach back a bit before he had hit the ground.

"Ow…" The man cringed as he tried to roll on his side and get up. Hiccup grabbed him by the back of his hair and dragged him closer. Hiccup put a foot on his chest now.

"You picked the wrong day to fuck with me," Hiccup glared. "Who sent you?" No answer. "Who sent you?"

"I'll…Never tell you," the man coughed; he couldn't have been any older than Dagur at best.

"Oh, really?" Hiccup grabbed him and put him against the tree this time, using his forearm against the throat to hold him there and apply pressure. "I will not ask again. Who sent you to attack me?" Hiccup asked firmly. The man's breathing was labored as he had a hard time breathing.

"Hiccup, stop; you'll kill him!" Alvin got to his feet. The man coughed.

"Okay! Okay, you win!" the man said quickly and scared.

"Give me a name, and you better hurry it up because my patience is running dangerously thin," Hiccup ordered.

"Drago. Drago Bludvist…" the man looked at him.

"Why?" Hiccup pushed. The man didn't answer as Hiccup pushed hard on his throat.

"Because he wants you dead!" the man yelled as Hiccup released his throat and the man dropped to the base of the tree, coughing. "Drago…Wants you dead for defeating Red Death, destroying the Dragon Eye, and a bunch of other things, so he put a hit out on you. One million dollars to whoever brings you in for him to kill or just straight up kills you," the man said.

"Anyone else here a target?" Hiccup asked. The man glanced around quickly.

"No. Only you," the man stated.

"Where is Drago?" Hiccup asked. The man shook a little.

"I don't know," the man said. Hiccup grabbed him and threw him at Spitelout's feet before grabbing his collar again and holding him down. Astrid flinched; she entirely admitted that she didn't like this side of Hiccup, he was scary when he was mad.

"Where is he?!" Hiccup demanded again.

"I don't know! Please…He hides in the shadows; even when he gives orders. Drago just calls, and we see a shadowed figure sitting in a chair telling us what to do…Only a few people know his location…I don't know it…I swear I don't…"

Hiccup searched the man's fear-filled eyes before letting go and backing up. "Deal with him…" Hiccup said. Alvin was already on the phone with the department to get someone to collect the attacker. Hiccup's demeanor seemed to change when Runa began crying; he quickly went to his daughter and lifted her up into his arms.

The area was quiet as Hiccup calmed Runa down. Two officers arrived not more than eight minutes later to deal with the male; he got cuffed and taken away as Spitelout explained that he saw what happened, and would make a report later but it was not in anyone's best interest to approach Hiccup right now. The officer understood and left with his partner in the cruiser. As the time was reaching 5:20 pm; everyone thought it might be best to pack things up and head home. It didn't seem like Hiccup was in a mood to party anymore regardless of what the day was, and who could blame him?

As of today; it was out in the open that Drago Bludvist was targeting Hiccup for all the things he'd apparently done to get in Drago's way. Hiccup seemed mad, but really; he was relieved to learn only he was the only one Drago was after.

"Hiccup? Are you alright, son?" Stoick asked.

"I'm fine…I'm fine, Dad," Hiccup finally replied after a few minutes and taking a deep breath.

"I think we should all call it a day," Spitelout informed. "Hiccup; it might be a good idea for you to have a-,"

"No," Hiccup refused. "No protection details,"

"But, Hiccup," Valka tried.

"I said no, Mom. I don't need an officer tailing me; I can protect myself as you just saw. I know how to fight; I can take care of myself," Hiccup remarked.

"I was going to suggest witness protection," Alvin put a finger up.

"Also no. Let him send whoever he wants; I'll be okay. If they can't do it, at some point or another; the fucker will come out of hiding to deal with me himself. And believe me; he's not gonna have an easy time either. You worry about finding him, and I'll deal with protecting myself, but I refuse to hide. No way, no how; I'd rather die,"

"Hiccup!" Astrid said quickly.

"That was not meant to be suicidal or anything, babe. It's just for enhancement purposes that I won't live my life in fear over this. I knew what I was getting into when I became your bodyguard, and now Drago's attention is on me and only me. That's all I care about; you are safe as are they," Hiccup set Runa down as he went to start cleaning things up. "I don't want to hear any more about this. Take my word for it that no matter what happens; you will all be safe, and I will be okay,"

Astrid had heard those words so many times, and she couldn't think of anything else to do but believe them. Hiccup told her to trust him, and she said she did. Now, she had to prove it and hope everyone else did the same. While picking things up, Birger was sitting next to Runa and playing with her a bit. As everyone was finishing up, Birger suddenly gasped.

"Hiccup…Hiccup, look, quick!" Birger whispered. Hiccup turned fast thinking there was another threat, but what he saw made all the anger fade away. Runa was on her hand and knees trying to stand up on her own.

"She's trying to walk…" Hiccup said in shock. Runa got on both of her feet and was holding the edge of Toothless's wing for balance. "Someone get a camera going…" he said. Astrid wasted no time in getting hers rolling and standing slightly next to Hiccup to capture the video. Runa got to the edge of Toothless's wing and stopped, looking at Hiccup who was now crouching down less than a few steps away. Hiccup had been trying to help Runa learn to walk for weeks, but it never happened; she always resorted to crawling or using something else to hold on to. "Come on; it's okay. Come to daddy…" Hiccup held his arms out to her.

Runa took her hands off Toothless and stepped a bit to face Hiccup. "That's it. Good girl…You got it," he offered. Runa tried to take a step and wobbled back, but Toothless caught her with his head and pushed her up straight again. Runa moved her leg again and stepped, then again, and again. It was little steps, but she was walking without holding onto anything! "Come on; you got it. Come to daddy, baby girl," Runa reached for him as she got a bit faster. Seconds later, she got in front of Hiccup and fell forward, but Hiccup caught her while rising to his feet and hugging her tightly.

"Oh, that's my big girl! Daddy's so proud of you," Hiccup kissed her on the nose as Runa yawned a little. "You finally started walking…" he said softly. "I love you so much, Roo…" he added as he kissed her again and snuggled with his daughter. Astrid shut the video off after that moment as she got closer to Hiccup, seeing tears in his eyes. "Happy 1st Birthday, Princess…" Hiccup closed his eyes. Astrid smiled softly before Hiccup brought her over with a hand around her waist. Astrid leaned against Hiccup as he kissed her forehead. This moment was Hiccup needed to be happy and not care about the hit out on him. Sure, the day had been full of surprises, but right here it this moment; everything in his life was perfect.


	72. The Search Is On

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

The Search Begins

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Monday, June 13, 2022-6:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Regardless of the attack on Hiccup that took place on Saturday, Runa's birthday was a success! And she took her first steps too. Sunday was a day where Hiccup had to spend more time with Hoark and Spitelout to discuss the matter of him being targeted by Drago Bludvist. The idea was once again brought up for a police detail or witness protection, but Hiccup refused and being eighteen; he was allowed to do that. Hiccup had full confidence that he could handle this without endangering anyone else. Astrid asked him why he refused the help, and that was his explanation; if he got a guard, then that person would be killed to get at Hiccup. Or if Hiccup chose witness protection; Drago would order for family and friends to get used in order to lure Hiccup out. And Hiccup would not allow anyone else to be hurt; that he got himself into this and he would find a way to get out safely. Astrid was worried, but she had to trust in Hiccup's words. And Astrid explained that to everyone else too; that they had to believe in him.

Sunday was quiet after Hiccup returned home from the station. Hiccup just wanted to relax with his daughter and girlfriend, so they had a quiet picnic in the backyard with Toothless and Stormfly. Hiccup continued working on his song piece for graduation too, and the friends didn't come over as they suspected Hiccup needed some downtime after everything that had happened on Saturday. Monday was more graduation prep; going through the motions of how the night would go. Lining up in alphabetical order by last name, how to file into their seats for the ceremony, who would talk and when; then being called on to cross the stage and receive their diploma. It was an all-day affair that Hiccup was glad to be done with and get home to relax a bit. However, he did allow for his friends to come over and join for dinner and hang out. Now everyone was sitting around the Great Room, which the window had been fixed finally.

"How is Runa doing with her walking?" Camicazi asked.

"Getting better. A few steps at a time each day; I think she made it to ten this morning before school," Hiccup informed.

"Any more words?" Snotlout inquired.

"A couple, but it's not uncommon for a one-year-old to only know a few. She's got Mama, Dada, No, Uppy, and shockingly, Ast. I guess she picks up on me calling Astrid that," Hiccup shrugged.

"But does she know who Astrid is?" Thuggory wondered.

"Not sure," Hiccup said as Runa was sitting in his lap playing with a teething ring, biting on it a bit. "Runa…Hey, Lil Lady…Where's Astrid?" he questioned. Runa looked up at him, then around the room. "Where is she, baby girl? Where's Astrid?" Runa's eyes finally locked onto Astrid, staring at her a moment; then she clapped her hands and touched Astrid's arm with her teething toy.

"As-Ast..y. Asty! Asty!" Runa said cheerfully.

"Guess that answers that question," Astrid laughed a little as she lifted her finger and poked Runa's nose, making the one-year-old laugh excitedly. Runa dropped her toy as Astrid bend over to pick it up, wipe it off, then hand it back to her. Runa dropped it again as Astrid reached for it.

"And now she's got you locked into the game," Hiccup said. "She drops it on purpose," he added. "That's the game. She drops, you pick up,"

"I don't mind," Astrid assured. One of the times Astrid tried to give it back, Runa rejected it and reached her hands out. Astrid tried the toy again, but Runa pushed it out of her hands. "What's this game?"

"That's not a game, babe. Runa wants you, not the toy," Hiccup informed. Astrid blinked and looked back at Runa who was trying to get out of her father's lap. Hiccup set her down as Runa held Hiccup's knees then slowly moved across and held onto Astrid's legs this time, looking at her.

"Uppy. Asty uppy," Runa lifted her arms, her fingers making a grabbing motion for her.

"See?" Hiccup stated. Astrid stared at Runa before reaching down and picking her up; then setting her feet down on Astrid's legs. Runa smiled and used her hands to hold Astrid's cheeks and giggle. "She likes you,"

"Why, though? I'm not really an active person in her life," Astrid wondered.

"I think it's because she always sees you with Hiccup, and knows you make him happy. Babies can sense those kinds of things," Valka said softly with a smile. Astrid turned Runa side to side while sitting back and making it seem like she was flying. Runa giggled excitedly as Hiccup could only smile; he was glad that Runa liked Astrid. Runa and Astrid played for about ten minutes, then Runa tried to grab Astrid's face and pull her in. Runa planted her mouth on Astrid's nose, open mouth and all.

"That's not a binky, Roo," Astrid laughed a little.

"She knows that, Milady. I weened Runa off the binky a month ago; that's her giving you a kiss," Hiccup chuckled a little. "Because I kiss her on the nose all the time," Astrid understood as she pulled her nose away and kissed Runa's nose back. Runa bent her knees and ended up laying on Astrid's chest and stomach. The one-year-old laid her head on Astrid's chest a bit, yawning and slowly drifting to sleep within five minutes.

"Aw, that's adorable," Heather and Camicazi said quietly.

"Yeah, she really likes you," Hiccup smiled. Astrid just put her arms around her and closed her eyes a bit. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, babe. I'm okay, don't worry," Astrid stated. "Relaxing, so I don't disturb her," Hiccup knew it was a lie, and he wanted to know what was wrong, but perhaps Astrid wasn't saying anything because she didn't want everyone to know what was bothering her. Astrid looked at Hiccup, giving him that look saying; _Tell you later_. Hiccup understood and relaxed a bit.

"How's your graduation song coming?" Ragna inquired.

"Almost done; just gotta mesh the music together and record with the lyrics," Hiccup enlightened.

"Can we hear it?" Nadia wondered.

"Sure. At graduation with everyone else," Hiccup stated as the rest huffed. "Do you want me to take her from you?"

"No, it's okay. I don't mind, babe. But she's your daughter, so you make that call," Astrid replied.

"She seems pretty content with you right now, so as long as you're good with it; I'm not gonna move her," Hiccup stated while leaning over to kiss Runa's cheek, then Astrid's. Hiccup was glad today was a calm day and in five days…He would be a High School graduate. Hiccup knew it was time to buckle down and figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life since the military was out. It still bothered him, but Astrid's words kept his spirits high. Hiccup sacrificed his chance in the army when he risked his life to protect the island, so that was okay with him.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Tuesday, June 14, 2022-1:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

It warmed Hiccup's heart to see how Runa was with Astrid. Truthfully; he worried about it a bit. How Runa would do with Astrid in his life, and he was surprised and happy with the overall results. If Hiccup and Astrid were going to be together, Hiccup had to know that Astrid and Runa would get along. Also, Hiccup had one other concern; how attached Runa could get to Astrid the more they were around each other. Hiccup was not ready for Runa to start possibly thinking that Astrid was her mother; there needed to be a lot more time put in before the idea of being together forever was considered. Astrid was now on birth control; she started her period this morning and took the pill as instructed at 7 am over breakfast.

Today was Ruffnut and Tuffnut's 18th birthday, and it was another day of graduation prep; more practice for Saturday. We had to line ourselves up and file in; then they'd run through how it would go for being called up to receive our diplomas. A lot of birthdays have passed since the start of the school year. Nadia turned eighteen in March. Minden is now nineteen as of February. Snotlout is eighteen; his birthday was in May. Heather turned eighteen in April. Thuggory's birthday was back in October 2021; he's eighteen too. Fishlegs would be turning seventeen in December. Eret would be twenty in July and Camicazi was going to turn eighteen in August. Oh, and Adelaide, Snotlout's little sister would be turning sixteen in September. Hiccup and Astrid are also eighteen; he turned in February, and Astrid in March.

Astrid wasn't sure what to make of Hiccup today; he didn't seem like he was all with it. And the friends had taken notice too over the lunch hour. Right now, the Senior Class was in the auditorium to practice graduation things since the weather outside was awful. Mr. Meatsen and a couple of others were on stage, going over how Saturday would go from start to finish. Hiccup was sitting with his friends, but he looked exhausted a bit pale. And the worst part is that this started halfway through lunch. Hiccup just seemed quiet and drained all of a sudden. Astrid watched as Hiccup put his head down and put his fingers to his temples, rubbing in a circle. That was a sure-fire sign that Hiccup was developing a headache, or worse, a migraine.

Astrid put her hand on his shoulder. "Hiccup, are you okay?" Hiccup shook his head a few times as the others looked over wondering what was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"I-I don't feel good, babe…" Hiccup replied.

"A migraine?" Snotlout asked.

"Feels like one is coming on," Hiccup said.

"Do you have your pills?" Heather whispered from a few seats down their row. Hiccup shook his head. "What else is bothering you?" Astrid inquired.

"My stomach…I feel tired, and-," Hiccup jerked a bit as if he were going to throw up, but swallowed and panted a bit. "Nauseated, like I'm gonna throw up," he finished. Astrid checked his forehead and frowned.

"You're burning up, Hiccup. Go see Mala…" Astrid stated. Hiccup jerked again before getting up and hurrying out of the auditorium.

"Where is Mr. Haddock going?" Mogadon inquired.

"Said he didn't feel good, Dad," Thuggory remarked.

"I see," Mogadon stated. "Well, I'm sure he won't miss much. Check on him in a few minutes," he added.

"Yes, sir," the friends replied, and Mogadon began talking again.

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:45 pm}**_

Fifteen minutes when by and Hiccup didn't come back. Mogadon sent Thuggory to go check on him, and Thuggory came back reporting to his father that Hiccup was throwing up; then planned to see the nurse when it passed. Thuggory had passed that to his father and friend quietly, so no one else would hear it. In the bathroom; Hiccup was leaning against the wall, moaning in pain and miserable. Something was wrong; it had to be. All this came on after lunch, had he gotten food poisoning? Hiccup felt his phone vibrate as he checked the screen.

 **Milady[1:47 pm]  
** _ **How're u doin, babe?**_

Just as he was about to reply, he leaned over the toilet bowl to throw up again. This made three times total, and nausea hadn't passed. Hiccup panted a bit as he went to reply to Astrid.

 _You[1:49 pm]  
Puked 3 times, migraine, nausea, stomachache…Headin 2 nurse. _

Hiccup sent it and forced himself to get up slowly. "Come on, Hiccup…You're okay for another hour…" he pushed himself. Hiccup flushed the toilet and made his way to the sink to wash his hands. After that, Hiccup left the bathroom and went to the nurse's office. Hiccup opened the door to find Mala sitting with Dagur on one of the beds.

"Hiccup? You look like hell, brother," Dagur pointed out.

"Love you too," Hiccup mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Mala mentioned she had some free time and was hungry, so I brought lunch for us. You alright?" Dagur moved next to him.

"What's bothering you, Hiccup?" Mala stood now.

"A migraine, stomachache, fatigue…I just threw up three times in the bathroom," Hiccup explained.

"Oh, dear; you should go home dear," Mala informed. Hiccup shook his head.

"There's only an hour left…Just give me something for nausea and headache to get through the next hour and a half," Hiccup mumbled. Mala moved to check his forehead.

"You have a fever as well," Mala stated while going to the medicine chest and pulling a couple of things. Mala put two pills in a cup and gave it to him with water. "One should help nausea, and the other one will take care of pain and the fever," she added. Hiccup took both with the water, then tossed the cups away. "Would you like to lie down for a bit?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, thank you,"

"Feel better, brother," Dagur called as Hiccup waved and walked out the door. Hiccup moved into the auditorium hallway as he had seen that students weren't sitting in the seats; Hiccup assumed that maybe they were practicing the lineup process. Hiccup moved to get backstage when suddenly; he was grabbed from behind with a hand over his mouth. Hiccup tried to yell, but it was useless. Hiccup jerked to get away, but he was so exhausted; it didn't do much.

"Get the damn rag! This kid is stronger than he looks and definitely has got some fight in him," someone said quickly. Hiccup elbowed one guy in the face as he grabbed his phone and pressed the lock button five times as the Emergency SOS started a five-second countdown to call the police.

"Little shit!" Someone punched Hiccup in the face, causing his lip to split. Hiccup glared as he spat out some blood. Another person grabbed his phone away from him and tossed it under a table.

"HEL-," Hiccup started to yell before someone drove their fist into his stomach, making him cough and hit his knees. A rag was placed over his face, and Hiccup slipped into darkness.

"Alright, he's out. Let's move," someone said as they picked up Hiccup and carried him out the back doors and onto a red and orange Singetail dragon. "Go, Krogan," the dragon lifted into the air and took off fast as Hiccup remained unconscious with his legs and arms bound tightly with rope. Back behind the stage; Astrid and the friends were with everyone else having finally filed in backstage to practice getting in order and being called on.

"So he's heading to the nurse, huh?" Eret asked.

"That's what his text said at 1:50," Astrid replied. Mogadon was busy organizing the A last names while the friends talked near some tables. Something was giving off a faint alarm and vibrating. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"What?" Heather asked. "Oh, and I just talked to Dagur; he said Hiccup stopped in the nurse to get something to get through the rest of the day five minutes ago, and was on his way back here to join us,"

"So where is Hiccup then?" Snotlout asked.

"I can check the bathroom," Fishlegs offered. Astrid was looking around the area and finally down on her hands and knees to hear the sound closer. Astrid lifted the cloth up and saw a cell phone under there. Astrid brought it out and looked over it carefully before gasped. "What?"

"I-It's Hiccup's phone!" Astrid said quickly. "It was under the table, and trying to call emergency services," Astrid's phone started ringing as she answered it slowly. "Hello?" Astrid asked.

" _Astrid. It's Spitelout. Where is Hiccup?"_ Spitelout asked.

"To be entirely honest with you, Chief Jorgenson…I don't know where he is…Why?" Astrid replied.

" _Dispatch informed me that an Emergency SOS call was placed, but no one answered. When I looked at the number; it was Hiccup's,"_ Spitelout informed. Astrid looked worried now.

"I have Hiccup's cell phone in my hand; it was found under a table backstage giving off an alert and vibrating. The message on the screen was asking to place another call to Emergency SOS. Hiccup is nowhere in sight," Astrid said. "I think something has happened to him," she admitted.

" _Where's the principal?"_

"Organizing students," Astrid said.

" _Bring him the phone and put it on speaker, now, please,"_ Spitelout said. Astrid put it on speakerphone and went next to Mr. Meatsen.

"Yes, Astrid?" Mogadon inquired.

" _Mr. Meatsen, hi; it's Chief Jorgenson of the Archia Isle Police Department. I need you to lock your school down, now. No one in or out,"_ Spitelout ordered.

"What has happened?" Mogadon questioned. The area was quiet.

" _Recent discoveries have left me no choice but to believe student Hiccup Haddock has been kidnapped,"_ Spitelout said gravely. _"Lock the school down, and keep everyone exactly where they are,"_

"Understood. Shall I contact his parents?" Mogadon questioned.

" _No. I'll take care of it,"_ Spitelout informed. _"I'll be there soon with Alvin and a team to investigate,"_ the call ended as Astrid looked at Hiccup's phone in her hand while tears formed in her eyes; the worry set in that Hiccup had likely been kidnapped and taken to Drago to be killed, and that meant that time was not on their side to rescue him.

 **. . .**

 _ **{2:30 pm}**_

Everything was in motion. Spitelout arrived with Alvin, Hoark, and a team to investigate. The entire school was checked for Hiccup, but there was nothing, which only made Astrid, Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and everyone else worry more. Spitelout approached Astrid now as she looked at him.

"Astrid, I need you to tell me what happened," Spitelout asked softly.

"Hiccup started feeling sick after lunch. When we were sitting out in the auditorium; he said he had a migraine and stomachache. Before anyone asked anything else; he ran out. Mr. Meatsen sent Thuggory to check on Hiccup and reported Hiccup was throwing up; then planned to go to the nurse. I texted Hiccup at 1:47 asking if he was okay and he texted back that he threw up three times and was going to the nurse; that came through at 1:49," Astrid began.

"Dagur texted me at 1:56 saying Hiccup came in to get something from Mala for whatever was bothering him; then headed back this way. We never saw Hiccup come back," Heather interjected.

"I heard a sound keep repeating and buzzing while we were back here to practice lining up in order. I found Hiccup's phone under the table asking if he wanted to call Emergency Services again; then you called me to ask where he was," Astrid finished.

"Calling SOS can only be activated on the iPhone but pressing the lock button five times fast. A five-second countdown will initiate and then try to call dispatch," Alvin reminded. "Hiccup must have had time to do that before the phone was either dropped or taken from him to avoid a trace,"

"Hiccup was sick, and he couldn't fight back. Especially with a migraine; he can't do much of anything," Gobber pointed out.

"Well, he put up some kind of fight," one of the investigators said. "We've got blood over here. Looks like some saliva too,"

"Collect a sample, and we'll test to see who it belongs to. Anything else?" Spitelout asked.

"We should take the phone, run it for prints and exclude Astrid's and Hiccup's," Alvin suggested.

"Good call, Al. Astrid, do you still have it?" Spitelout asked. Astrid hadn't let go of it since she found it, but reluctantly, she lifted it from her side, and Hiccup's screen lit up as Astrid saw a photo of Hiccup, Runa, and herself there. Astrid remembered that picture, and it made a few tears fall. "Astrid, you have my word that we will find him and bring him home," Astrid handed the phone over into a bag Spitelout held out. "Alright people, let's get to work. The search for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is officially on," Spitelout called.


	73. Running Out Of Time

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Running Out Of Time

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Tuesday, June 14, 2022-3:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Hunter; Abandoned Warehouse)**_

Hiccup awoke fast upon feeling like his body was being thrown around and had landed hard. Instantly, his green hues blinked fast to open and focus on his surroundings. Hiccup took in quickly that he was laying on his right side in some cellar. There was cement walls, no windows, some pipes leading up to the next level, and then a ladder leading up to a hole in the ceiling. Hiccup saw figures retreating up the ladder, snickering about how well they did; that Drago would be pleased with their work when he got back from business. Hiccup groaned as he forced himself to sit up and got their attention.

"Hey!" Hiccup yelled. "Let me go," he said, struggling against the ropes what had his hands bound behind his back and legs tied together too.

"Can't take the chance of you escapin'," one man said.

"No, idiot. I mean let me go as in releasing me, so I can go home," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"No," the second man at the top of the opening stated. "Drago's offerin quite a bit for your death, but more if we bring ya in alive," he added.

"Well, I don't really feel like dying…So how about we just let me leave before anyone gets hurt?" Hiccup suggested.

"And who knows you were taken? No one saw it and if anyone suspects anything; we're too far ahead with no trail to follow. Face it, kid, by the end of this week; you'll be dead, and we'll-," the man on the stairs began.

"Be dead or under arrest," Hiccup finished while sitting against the wall and looking at them with a bored look. "Do you even know who you're dealing with, or did you just see a bounty on my head and decided to go for it?" he asked while the two men looked at one another. "Seriously?" Hiccup asked. "Come on. Drago Bludvist is a madman who wants to take over the world with dragons; to make people follow him and get rid of those who don't. You really think he's gonna hand over a large sum of money to you over me and let you go? No, you're pawns he plans to use. Either do as he says, or he'll kill you,"

"Well, you're dead either way then, aren't you?" the man remarked with a scoff.

"Obviously you missed what I said. You will end or dead or arrested; I will be fine," Hiccup informed with a roll of his green eyes. "Either I will break out, or someone will come to save me. I bet you they have already noticed my disappearance and are looking," he added.

"Yeah, who would that be? Your little friends? Your girlfriend?" a man huffed.

"Yep. My girlfriend, our fourteen friends, my two uncles; both of which are officers to Archia Isle, and one of them is the Chief of Police. You can add the entire department to that as well. There are also my parents; my mother and father, who is the Mayor of Archia Isle. The ABI-," Hiccup listed as the two got a bit nervous. "Oh, almost forgot; my Night Fury, who, might I add, is ridiculously protective over me," Hiccup informed. "As I said, you will either end up dead by Drago at some point or arrested because I have a bunch of people looking for me,"

"Don't listen to the boy," came a familiar voice. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he saw Johann Traytor emerge at the top next to another tall man, Krogan Hunters, as Hiccup believed him to be from the photo he saw in Spitelout's office the day he met Hoark. "Hiccup Haddock is known for inspiring others and talking his way out of certain situations that otherwise compromise him,"

"Johann…" Hiccup glared.

"So good to see you again, Master Hiccup," Johann kept his fingers together in front of his chest while smirking almost. "Not to worry, gentleman; you did the right thing in sending word that you captured the young man. We'll take it from here. Please see my man here to collect your reward," he added calmly. The two men made their way upstairs fully and went with Krogan. Hiccup's eyes narrowed.

"So you managed to escape police custody," Hiccup stated the obvious.

"I have good friends who came to my aid in a time of need. I must ask, where are your loyal friends? Or perhaps Miss. Astrid? It seems you don't mean that much to them after all," Johann chuckled softly while coming down the stairs slowly and stood before Hiccup now.

"They'll come…And you'll be sorry," Hiccup responded coldly.

"This I doubt. No one knows you were taken; it's only been a few hours," Johann informed.

"You took me from school and tossed my phone while it was in the middle of dialing Emergency SOS. Believe me, Johann…They'll notice, and they'll come," Hiccup spat out. "My friends know me more than you think they do,"

"Whatever you say, but by the time they discover you; it will be too late. Drago returns on Friday, and you will be dead within that hour of him arriving/ Your friends will find nothing more than a corpse," Johann grinned.

"Maybe yours when Toothless fries your ass," Hiccup huffed.

"I must say, your faith is astounding, Hiccup Haddock," spoke another voice; it belonged to Krogan. "You actually believe you will make it out of this cellar alive,"

"And you actually believe that you will prevail working for a madman…" Hiccup laughed a little. "That's cute," he added as Krogan punched Hiccup on the left side of his jaw.

"Easy, Krogan…" Johann reminded.

"Hey, all is fair as long as we don't kill him…I'd love to see how strong this brat is when he's defenseless…" Krogan enlightened.

 _Not as defenseless as you think._ Hiccup thought as he slid down more and kicked both of their legs out from under them. Johann and Krogan fell on their backs, grunting as Hiccup rolled and managed to get up while jumping up and getting his arms in front of him by bringing them forward and under his legs. Hiccup panted as he moved to get up the ladder; he made it to the top and headed for the exit of the warehouse. However, he knew he wouldn't get far as he heard Johann and Krogan getting up, mumbling and cursing about how clever Hiccup was.

Needing another plan because he wouldn't escape on foot; Hiccup spotted a cell phone sitting on a table as he dashed for it quickly. Hiccup brought up the text messages; then typed in Viggo's number.

 _You[3:40 pm]  
HELP! Kidnapped. IDK where. Find b4 Fri. Plan B if no choice. -HHH_

"There he is!" Krogan yelled.

"He's got a phone," Johann and Krogan rushed towards him. It was a time like this that Hiccup was beyond glad he was a fast typer and he got the message he wanted to convey in. Hiccup pressed send as it went. Immediately afterward; Hiccup went into settings and factory reset the phone; then he threw the phone down and smashed it under his prosthetic three times before Krogan tacked Hiccup down and punched him hard in the face to make his disorientated. Johann lifted the device as Hiccup began to come through.

"Damn it; he erased the phone before he smashed it…I don't know who he messaged or what he said," Johann growled. "No matter. They'll be too late. Take him downstairs; you know what to do. And make sure he can't pull off any more of his little escape attempts this time,"

"My pleasure," Krogan smirked as he pulled Hiccup up by his arm and practically dragged him down into the cellar. Hiccup cringed when Krogan threw him against the wall and used the chains dangling to secure Hiccup's wrists above his head. Krogan laid into him with punches to the face, stomach, and sides. Hiccup held firm and stayed quiet through the entire beating.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:05 pm}**_

"Maybe that will teach you," Krogan dropped Hiccup to the floor after loosening the chains so his arms wouldn't be above his head anymore. Hiccup now knew what his punching bag at home felt like after being used as one for the past twenty minutes. Hiccup laid there in pain, not wanting to move or speak. "Give it up, boy,"

"You're not leaving here alive," Johann added from a few steps behind Krogan. "Drago wants us to keep you busy until he comes to kill you, and we have permission to whoop your ass if you don't comply with orders,"

"Never…" Hiccup forced out. Johann snapped his fingers as Krogan socked Hiccup in the stomach again. Hiccup winced and coughed a bit as he felt like he was going to throw up.

"We're also allowed to withhold meals," Johann added while getting closer to Hiccup's face with a glare. "So maybe you didn't hear me; you will do as your told or suffer,"

Hiccup forced himself to sit up, panting. Barely conscious now; he looked at Johann and managed a laugh. "Maybe you didn't hear me; never. Do your worst to me because I will never do what you say," Johann glared, shaking with rage at Hiccup's refusal. "And I am getting out of here alive. Perhaps a little beaten up. Someone will come for me, or I will escape, but I won't die here. So you can go fuck yourself," Hiccup spat in his face. Johann wiped it off, closing his eyes; then he brought his fist back and got Hiccup in the face. Hiccup went unconscious, and his body slumped onto the floor.

"He's got determination and faith," Krogan scoffed.

"And it will get him killed because if Drago doesn't; I will…" Johann remarked coldly as he headed up the ladder and Krogan followed. Once the two were up, they removed the ladder and closed the hatch leaving Hiccup knocked out and beaten up.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archia Isle)**_

Viggo and Ryker didn't have any orders from Drago or Hiccup this evening as Drago was rumored to be out of the Archipelago for business and would be returning Friday morning. Ryker and Viggo both went to visit their daughters. Viggo had a daughter, Katja Oliversen-Grimborn, with his High School Sweetheart, Kelda Oliversen. The two lover broke up after High School graduation because Kelda didn't approve of Viggo's Dragon Hunter background. Much later on, Viggo and Kelda found one another again; this was when Viggo learned he had a daughter with Kelda and had since been being an active part of her life, but Kelda and Viggo remain as friends despite Viggo not being part of his past any longer. Katja also has an uncle who hates Viggo, and his name is Brenden Oliversen.

Ryker also has a daughter, Verena Grimborn, whom he had with Hertha Vollan during college years. Sadly, Hertha died and because Ryker was busy with his Dragon Hunter lifestyle; Verena went to live with Bertha Boggs; her Godmother, and Camicazi Boggs; her somewhat of a sister figure. Verena is three years younger than Katja. Viggo and Ryker, in their downtime, do visit their children, and tonight happened to be one of them. Katja and Kelda lived in Hysteria while Verena was in Bog-Burglar. Viggo currently was at Kelda's home visiting with Katja, Kelda, and Brenden for what would be a weekly dinner for the family since Katja enjoyed having everyone together. Viggo had his phone off originally because he took Katja and Kelda to lunch; then to do some shopping. Now, they were back at Kelda's, and Viggo flipped his phone back on in case Ryker or anyone else tried to contact him while he was out.

"How has work been, Dad?" Katja asked.

"Slow as of late," Viggo replied as he felt his phone vibrating a bit.

"Go on and take the call, Viggo. Dinner won't be ready for another fifteen minutes," Kelda informed as Viggo had looked at her, knowing she didn't like cell phones at the table.

"Not a call, just a text," Viggo informed as he pulled the device out and read the message that came across the screen.

 **Johann[3:40 pm]  
** _ **HELP! Kidnapped. IDK where. Find b4 Fri. Plan B if no choice. -HHH**_

Viggo's eyes widened a bit. Hiccup had been kidnapped and used Johann's phone to send a message out for help? This was almost an hour ago! Viggo stood quickly as he scrolled for Ryker's number.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Katja inquired.

"Sorry, Princess. Something has come up with work; I promise we'll reschedule. I love you," Viggo said as he kissed Katja's cheek; then hurried towards the kitchen door while pulling the phone to his ear. "Ryker. Where are you?" A pause as Viggo got his hand on the doorknob. "We've got a problem. Work-related. Meet me at the apartment," after that, Viggo ended the call and slipped the phone away into his pocket as he exited the Oliversen household and rushed to his Monstrous Nightmare, a male named Frelser(Norwegian for Savior); then quickly mounted and had his dragon take to the sky.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:10 pm}**_

 _ **(Town of Dragon Hunter-Grimborn Apartment)**_

Viggo landed his dragon and hurried inside to find Ryker waiting there.

"What's going on?" Ryker asked quickly.

"I received a text for Johann, but it wasn't him," Viggo reported, turning the phone to let Ryker see the message. Ryker's eyes widened a bit.

"Hiccup was kidnapped?" Ryker asked.

"Yes, I believe so. I didn't receive the message right away; the phone was off, but this came through as soon as I had the device on again at 4:30," Viggo informed. "Someone working for Drago in the department must have released Johann from custody, and now Hiccup has been taken captive,"

"But what does his message mean? Find before Friday?" Ryker looked at Viggo now.

"Drago is due to return Friday morning, and he put that hit out on Hiccup to either kill or bring in alive to be killed for more money," Viggo reminded. "Hiccup is being held a prisoner until Friday when he will undoubtedly be killed,"

"And using plan B?" Ryker stared.

"That means if we can't save Hiccup ourselves; we go to the police and tell them we have been working undercover for Hiccup and know how to find him," Viggo stated.

"But we don't," Ryker said. "And Hiccup doesn't know where he is either. Did you try to call Johann?"

"I did, but I heard an automated voice inform me that the device is not active. If I had to take a guess; Hiccup sent the distressed text in a hurry, then erased the phone and destroyed it to make sure no one found out who he messaged," Viggo enlightened while stroking his goatee.

"So what do we do?" Ryker asked firmly.

"We may as well use our cover to obtain information on the matter. I'm sure plenty of workers know what has happened; we can use that to our advantage," Viggo offered. "Someone will know of the kidnapping, and perhaps where Hiccup is being held. We'll scope out what we're dealing with, and if we can't get him out safely, we'll resort to plan B," Ryker nodded understanding as the two packed up and headed for the compound in Dragon Hunter Town.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Everyone was at Stoick and Valka's home, sitting around and waiting for any kind of update from Spitelout, Alvin, or Agent Hoark Haggard of the AIB about the status of the search for Hiccup. Valka was a mess while Stoick tried to comfort his wife, and stay on top of things. The friends were worried sick, and Astrid; she wasn't sure what she should do; cry, be angry, praying, pace. No, Astrid didn't know how to deal with his; her boyfriend had been kidnapped for interfering in Drago's operations and apparently stopping two of his plans for world domination. And Drago reached a point where he'd put a bounty on Hiccup for him to be killed, or get brought in to be killed. Spitelout, Alvin and Hoark were at Haddock Manor, trying to set up a home base of operations of their own to run the search from.

There were officers, notepads, phones, and laptops set up in the formal dining room to analyze and take calls about possible tops. Other agents from AIB were also doing this from the Great Room. Haddock Manor was a busy place right now, and yet, no one seemed to mind. The friends were over but knew they couldn't stay past a certain time, most were present of offer support for Valka and Stoick, Astrid too. By 9 pm at the latest, all of them would leave and then resort to asking Astrid for updated on the situation since it was still Tuesday, and they had school, which was really only for more graduation prep. None of them cared about graduating now; a ceremony didn't define them passing; it was just another event to receive their diplomas, which they'd get anyway even if they didn't attend.

"Spitelout, give me something! Anything…It's been about four hours!" Stoick tried.

"Stoick, I'm doing the best I can, alright? You need to sit down and stop interfering in this police work. We'll find Hiccup, I promise…" Spitelout assured.

Valka stood quickly. "You were there, Spitelout; we all were! Hiccup had a _HIT_ put out on him! The guy said that either someone would kill him, or kidnap him to be brought in and killed! And now he's been kidnapped, right from school!" the woman was hysterical.

"Val, stop," Gobber reminded. "Now sit down, and breathe," he demanded. Valka sat down, crying softly. "We know Hiccup was kidnapped from school and in grave danger. The police are doing the best they can, but you need to understand that we have nothing to go off of as far as possible location or who did it. Alright? All we have is that Hiccup got taken from school when he was backstage around 2 pm today. We know Hiccup tried to call for help, and either they took the phone and tossed it aside, or Hiccup dropped it in a struggle to get free. Either way; he's been taken and all available sources to search for him are doing so,"

"Hiccup is a fighter, Valka. I'm sure he's not giving them an easy time," Alvin reminded.

"We'll find the lad," Spitelout vowed. "Until then, you need just to hold faith and let us do our job,"

Stoick got Valka a few tissues as she nodded slowly and he continued to hold her comfortingly. "Just find my baby alive…" she whimpered. Sadly, no matter what anyone wanted this to turn out as, Valka was right. Drago was after Hiccup, going as far as putting a bounty on the eighteen-year-old's head. The orders were to either kill Hiccup or capture and bring in for Drago to kill; it would see that Hiccup has been taken and will be killed upon arriving to Drago. Hiccup was taken four hours ago, and each minute that passed was one closer to running out of time to save him.


	74. At Last

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

At Last

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, June 16, 2022-8:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Hunter; Abandoned Warehouse)**_

Two full days that Hiccup had been kept a prisoner in the underground basement of the warehouse. Hiccup remained chained unless he was working, and forced to at that. If Hiccup refused, he was beaten for five minutes. Every time he said no; he would get hurt. And there were no restrictions on what they did as long as no one killed him. Johann and Krogan always watched closely to whatever was happening, and occasionally; they would jump in to add a few punches and kicks. The other punishments besides the basics were a few belt whippings or no food at the upcoming meal. Hiccup's bathroom usage was kept to a bucket in the corner, and he would have to dump out and clean it among any other chores he was given. Tons of workers were in and out of this warehouse all day and all night. Hiccup usually had to act like a slave and do whatever they said.

Hiccup's workload didn't have a start or end; it was whatever someone said. Hiccup had to clean the stables, kitchen, bathrooms, storage areas, even cook or get drinks. Hiccup's hands remained chained to the walls while in the cellar, but when he was working; there would be ropes binding his wrists together and he had to do everything with his wrists like this. Thankfully, Hiccup adapted rather quickly, but there were times he refused and would get his ass beat for such. The beatings did also happen because people just felt like getting back at him for previous battles when he was protecting Astrid over that last five or six months. Hiccup was sick too; the migraines made it hard for him to do much or anything; they would fade at night but usually come back by mid-morning. On top of that; Hiccup was dealing with a stomachache, sore body, and nausea. Sometimes he would throw up, and others; the feeling was just there.

Hiccup knew they were watching him with cameras, so they knew he was sick and made him do more. And Hiccup knew he had no privacy when using the bathroom either. Hiccup, most of the time, would try to hold it as long as he could, but eventually; he had no choice but to give in and use the bucket. Literally, no matter where he was or what time; if he had to go, they would take him back into the cellar to relieve himself. The food portions, when he was allowed to eat were something for the size of a five-year-old. Sometime; he wouldn't get to eat at all, or they would just give him something ridiculously small like a granola bar. It sucked; the entire situation was awful, but what more could he do. Escape attempts had all failed, and he'd get hurt more too. The farthest Hiccup made it was outside the warehouse and yell for help before getting tackled down, then beat up for pulling such a stunt.

Hiccup was actually getting a bit nervous that he hadn't been found yet. Tomorrow morning, Drago will have returned, and there was no telling when the man would come to kill him.

"Get back to work, boy!" Johann ordered, cracking the leather belt against Hiccup's back.

"Dude, I stopped for literally a second," Hiccup sassed. Johann backed-handed him as Hiccup spit out a little blood.

"Shut up," Johann demanded as he raised the belt again.

"Okay, okay! Fucking Gods…Lay off. I'm working…" Hiccup glared but got back to work regardless. _Time is almost up, guys…Go to plan B…_ Hiccup thought, hoping Viggo and Ryker were following his instructions to go seek more help if they were unable to get to him.

 **. . .**

 _ **(Town of Dragon Hunter; Grimborn Apartment)**_

"Ryker, we've gone as far as we can go!" Viggo yelled at his older brother. "We've spent two days following leads, and all we've learned is what we already know. Hiccup was kidnapped, Johann is involved, and if we don't find Hiccup by tomorrow morning; he'll be killed," he added softer.

"Viggo, you don't get the risk we take," Ryker reminded.

"I know what is at stake, brother, but so is Hiccup's life if we don't get some real help in locating him. All we have is word of mouth from eavesdropping on others. And we can't simply go ask Krogan or Johann; they'll know something is up. ABI and Archia Isle police can help, Ryker. We have no choice and no time…It's time to resort to plan B, as instructed," Viggo stated.

"And how can we prove we're not working for Drago? They'll think we had a hand in it," Ryker growled.

"It's a chance we take; I'm sure Hiccup can clear things up when he's rescued, but for now…His life is in danger, and he's counting on us. We mustn't let him down," Viggo put a hand on Ryker's shoulder. "Everything will be fine,"

"I trust you, brother. Where do we start?" Ryker sighed, defeated.

"If I'm not mistaken; a temporary base of operations was set up at Hiccup's home. Everyone will be there, and that's where we need to go," Viggo said as Ryker nodded. The two brothers grabbed whatever they might need to assist; then exited on Frelser, Viggo's Monstrous Nightmare to get to Berk.

 **. . .**

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{9 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Hiccup has been gone two full days, and every day I begin to lose a little faith that he'll be found alive. I can't help it; I know Hiccup said that no matter what; he would come back, but this was hard to keep that belief knowing Drago put a hit out on Hiccup to be killed or captured, then killed by Drago himself. What was I supposed to believe here? There has been nothing to tell us if he's okay or where he is. I'd settle for just knowing if he's okay, but it's tearing me apart to wonder if he's been killed already and buried in some shallow grave. School hasn't been the same without Hiccup, and these graduation preparations only make me and my friends miserable because we should have been with Hiccup knowing he was a target. That's all Hiccup did for me, went with me everywhere when I was the person they wanted, and Hiccup was left open to be attacked or taken. All of us felt horrible; Hiccup was sick on Tuesday with a migraine to boot. We should have had his back, and instead…We all let him down when he needed us the most.

Currently, my friends were over as they did every night now and would do until something developed in this case.

"It's getting late…" Ruffnut said.

"We should be leaving soon," Nadia agreed.

"Why don't we head downstairs to say goodbye and goodnight?" Dagur offered.

"I'll walk you down," I said sadly as I got off of Hiccup's bed and moved with them out of the room and downstairs. We went to the Great Room where Stoick and Valka were, Gobber too.

"Heading out for the night lads and lasses?" Gobber asked upon seeing us.

"Well, Adelaide, me, and Fishlegs are staying," Snotlout shrugged.

"The rest of us think it's time to head home," Heather informed softly.

"Get home safely," Stoick informed.

"Chief! Come here, quick. We got something!" someone yelled. My heart began to pound in my chest as everyone's eyes widened and hurried into the Ballroom, where more police and ABI work was happening. Spitelout, Alvin and Hoark hurried in as we all decided that going home didn't matter anymore. Two full days, and finally, something seemed to be happening. I led the group behind Stoick, Valka, and Gobber as there was a lot of people present in this room suddenly.

"What have we got?" Alvin asked.

"These two were let in by the head of staff after claiming they have information about the case," informed an officer.

"What do you know about my son's kidnapping!" Valka demanded as she broke through the rest.

"Valka," Spitelout warned as Stoick and Gobber pulled the frantic woman back.

"First of all, who are you two?" Hoark inquired.

"I am Viggo Grimborn, and this is my older brother, Ryker. Please, we've only come to offer as much aid as possible in locating Hiccup Haddock," Viggo introduced.

"Viggo and Ryker Grimborn. Residence in the town of Dragon Hunter and share an apartment. Viggo and Ryker have daughters as well. Viggo, father of Katja Oliversen-Grimborn who resides in Hysteria with her mother, Kelda, and uncle, Brendan. And Ryker, father of Ver-," I saw Camicazi gasp a bit.

"Oh, my Gods! I know you!" Camicazi announced. "You're Verena's father!" she added. "Verena a few years younger than us; she attends Bog-Burglar Academy and lives on campus there, but used to stay at the house with my mom and me because my mother is her legal Godmother after Hertha Vollan passed away in childbirth! Verena is basically my step-sister…"

"So good to see you again, Camicazi. How is your mother?" Ryker inquired gently.

"This is not the time," Hoark glared. "Agent Ovesen, continue please?" he glanced.

"Yes, sir. What Miss. Boggs said is the truth regarding Ryker Grimborn's daughter. And…Both of them, are employed by Drago Bludvist as Dragon Hunters, sir," the man, Agent Ovesen, trailed off.

"Arrest them!" Hoark demanded.

"No, please. You misunderstand…" Viggo tried as officers began to close in. I recognized this man's voice, but couldn't pinpoint where from.

"We work for Hiccup!" Ryker insisted. As soon as he said that; I pushed my way through and saw the brothers standing there. These were the two who told me that I was safe because they worked for Hiccup! I panted as I hurried forward in front of them.

"Wait! No, stop! Agent Haggard, don't arrest them!" I urged.

"Miss. Hofferson, do not interfere. They work for the man who ordered your boyfriend to be-," Hoark started, but I glared.

"It's just a cover!" I yelled out, silencing the room.

"Excuse me?" Hoark stared.

"It's just…A cover that it says they work for Drago Bludvist…" I tried to catch my breath. "They are telling the truth; they work for Hiccup…"

"And you're certain of this fact?" Spitelout stepped up now. I nodded my head.

"The day I was taken into the forest, so Johann could trade my freedom for the Dragon Eye…These two were the brothers who told Johann not to hurt me because it wasn't the plan…Viggo and Ryker informed me that they work for Hiccup, and he ordered them to keep me safe in the event Hiccup was not around to protect me…," I explained.

"Can you prove Hiccup knows them?" Hoark sighed.

"Give me Hiccup's phone…" I held my hand out. Hoark nodded to his workers as Hiccup's phone was given to me. I scrolled the contacts until I found the one that made sense. _VG_. It had to stand for Viggo Grimborn, and that was the caller the night of the Prom when Hiccup and I were almost shot. I pressed the contact as moments later, Viggo's cell phone was ringing. "May I?" I asked. Viggo handed it to me as I showed Hoark the screen revealing the contact ID of _Hiccup Haddock_. "And Ryker is in Hiccup's phone as RG," I informed. "They work for Hiccup…So please don't arrest them because they are here to help,"

"I retract my orders, do not arrest them," Hoark stated firmly as the officers backed off.

"Thank you, Miss. Hofferson," Viggo offered a bow once I gave him his phone back.

"You're welcome…And you can repay me by telling us where Hiccup is," I said.

"Unfortunately, we do not know. The information hasn't been made public to Drago's organization," Ryker enlightened as I sighed heavily.

"If you have nothing to offer; then why come," Stoick asked.

"Following orders of Hiccup," Viggo remarked.

"You've made contact!? Is my baby boy okay?!" Valka asked quickly.

"Alright, everyone needs to back off and let the officers and my team handle this!" Hoark said sternly. "You said you've come to help, but are on Hiccup's orders to do so. Have you made contact with him in the last two days?"

"Hiccup messaged me on Tuesday at 3:40 pm from the cell phone belonging to Johann Traytor. I tried to message and call back, but to no avail I'm afraid. I was given an automated reply that the phone was no longer in service. I'm led to believe Hiccup managed to get one message through, then destroyed the device to keep Johann or anyone else around him from discovering who he was contacting," Viggo explained.

"And why would he contact you over his family?" Gobber questioned.

"As we said; we work for Hiccup, and we've been undercover on his instructions in Drago's operations since January," Ryker informed. "Our job was to discover Drago's connection to the deaths of Colden and Alva Hofferson, and why he was after the remaining survivor,"

"And Hiccup ordered all this?" I looked at them.

"Yes, Ma'am," Viggo replied.

"This is something I would like to know more about. However, my concern is Hiccup. How much can you tell us about the kidnapping? And what did Hiccup's message to you say?" Spitelout pushed now. Viggo brought up the message and handed his phone to Hoark to let him see.

"I understand the first bit, but why the second?" Alvin looked at the brothers.

"The hit out on Hiccup was to either kill or bring in to be killed," Ryker said.

"Yes, we know…But why does it say find him before Friday, that's tomorrow," Hoark asked.

"We're unsure of the location, but Drago left the Archipelago on business on Monday. As far as we know; he returns Friday. I assume that's what the message Hiccup was trying to convey is," Viggo stated. "Drago must be coming back Friday, and will kill Hiccup then, so for now; Hiccup is just being held prisoner,"

"And the second part, about resorting to Plan B?" Spitelout pushed more.

"Plan B is we come to you," Ryker mentioned.

"At the start of this infiltration and reconnaissance job, Hiccup stated that on the off chance something goes wrong and he is kidnapped in a situation he couldn't make contact, escape on his own, or we're unable to find him ourselves; we come to the police and offer whatever we can to assist their efforts," Viggo enlightened calmly.

"So he's okay? He's alive?" I asked quickly, my hope being restored.

"I'm sure he's not being treated like a king wherever he is, but I can say without that he's still alive…For now," Ryker reminded.

"What my brother means is that time is of the essence as tomorrow is Friday, and we're unsure of when Drago will be returning to finish Hiccup off. We've come because our undercover position in the organization hasn't allowed us to learn much about the status of Hiccup's kidnapping, and time is running out, so we've come to you combine our efforts to locate him," Viggo explained.

"We normally don't do this, but time is not on our side. We need to find Hiccup now, so give us whatever you can," Hoark looked at them.

"Krogan Hunters and Johann Traytor have to be with him; they are Drago's righthand men when he isn't around. Drago has training locations all over the Archipelago, but those are the ones on the books and legally run if it can be said that way," Ryker started.

"Yes, we've had trouble busting him because of those facts, and we have him for a lot of things; we just need Hiccup as the eyewitness to it all since he's apparently been directly inside everything," Spitelout muttered.

"So what can you give us that may narrow down a possible location?" Gobber stepped up.

"Drago has warehouses to conduct his under the radar business; these sit on the borders of the Archipelago walls in all four directions," Viggo grabbed a few push pins and placed them North, East, South, and West on the map sitting on the corkboard. "We don't know precisely where they are located, but we know that Krogan was last seen heading North to the Town of Dragon Hunter on his Singetail,"

"Then that's where we'll look," Hoark said snapping his fingers.

"Or…" Ryker stopped them. "You could let us find out for sure so we don't waste time with a search where they could possibly spot you and move the boss," he suggested.

"How do you intend to do that?" I asked.

"Simple. I have Krogan's number," Viggo folded his arms over his chest. "Let one of us call and talk to him,"

"How do we know you won't-," Hoark began.

"Hoark, no time to question their loyalty! If we don't find Hiccup by tomorrow; he'll be killed. I'm not losing the chance we have to get a location and storm the place, or that Drago finds out we're too close, and he orders for Hiccup just to be taken out," Spitelout glared, then looked at Viggo and Ryker. "Do it, but I want to hear everything,"

"Done," Ryker nodded.

"Everyone else, complete silence," Spitelout ordered.

"This is my investigation," Hoark huffed.

"And it's my nephew's life, Hoark. We can catch Drago and his organization any day, but Hiccup's time is running short. Saving him matters more than catching the bad guys," Spitelout retorted. Hoark had nothing to say as he gave in and nodded. Viggo lifted his phone and dialed Krogan, setting in on speakerphone.

" _What?"_ came Krogan's voice. _"I'm a little busy, Grimborn,"_

"We haven't had any jobs in a week. My brother and I do have bills and children to take care of," Viggo remarked.

" _The biggest job was dealt with already,"_ Krogan replied.

"And that would be?" Viggo inquired. In the background; the sound of someone yelling at someone else was heard.

" _Give it up, kid. We're just gonna keep kicking your ass until tomorrow night when the boss comes to finish you off himself,"_

There was coughing. _"No,"_ That was Hiccup's voice!

" _Just do what you're told, wouldn't that be easier?"_

" _Who said…I liked to do things easy…"_ Hiccup panted.

" _If I didn't know any better; I'd say you like the abuse,"_

" _Nah. I've just had worse training sessions with my Godfather. This is nothing…"_ Hiccup chuckled weakly.

" _Oh, really?"_ the voice asked as a loud whip sound was hard. _"Got nothing to say now, do you?"_

" _Got plenty,"_ Hiccup retorted.

" _Give up; no one is coming for you,"_ a voice informed.

" _I beg to differ. Give me all you got, but I won't break, and I won't give in. Beat me, whip me, burn me…I don't care what you do, but I swear that I will not die here. Someone will come, or I will find a way to escape. So how about you go fuck yourself?"_ Hiccup scoffed.

" _Will you shut him up!"_ Krogan ordered.

"Having a hard time making your prisoner follow orders?" Ryker snickered.

" _Zip it, Grimborn,"_ came Johann's voice. " _And you four, knock that brat out. I don't care how you do it…"_

I felt my heart clench up as I heard a series of punching and kicking; Hiccup was getting his ass kicked. _"Gods, he is annoying,"_ Krogan remarked.

" _Why you little-,"_ someone howled in pain.

" _For Odin's sake; the boy is only eighteen and chained up by his arms to a wall! Can the four of you not handle him?!"_ Johann asked.

" _None of you can stand against me…One way or the other; I will walk away from this. Come on, you've had me two days, and I've managed to break free and get out at least twice. Face it; I'm too clever for you idiots,"_ Hiccup laughed a bit.

" _Would you please shut the fuck up!?"_ one begged.

" _Sure, as soon as you let me the fuck go,"_ Hiccup replied.

 _"Not a chance, boy. Now, stop causing such a fuss and be a good prisoner slave. If you can't listen, maybe I should go after your pretty little blond-haired girl or that adorable baby girl of yours? I bet you'll do anything for them,"_ a male snickered.

There was a short silence. I bit my bottom lip as Ryker and Viggo looked at me curiously. _"Touch anyone of my family, friends, my girlfriend or my daughter and I fucking promise you that no amount of chains, rope, or anything else you try to take me down with will stop me from gruesomely murdering you in cold blood with a goddamn smile on my face,"_ Hiccup warned in a flat, cold, voice. I'd never heard it before and I could only imagine the look on his face when he said it.

 _"You wouldn't dare; you'll go to prison,"_ the man challenged, but there was fear in his voice.

 _"Won't I? Test the theory and find out. I fucking dare you. Who is gonna stop me? The police? The ABI? No, my friend. A moment of extreme distress can easily be turned into an insanity plea. I go away to a psych hospital for a few weeks, but then I'm out; free and clear to continue living my life as if nothing happened,"_ Hiccup informed cooly.

 _"You got nothing, kid. You're stuck here, and you aren't strong enough to do anything to stop me from going after them,"_ the man remarked. Seconds after he said it, there was a loud sound of something getting hit hard.

" _Ow!"_ a voice growled. There was a loud thud and grunt.

" _Not strong enough? That's what you said, right? Chained and beaten up, but I still put you on your ass. Maybe next time you shouldn't have your face so close to mine,"_ Hiccup said casually.

" _He knocked him out cold,"_ one complained. _"I did not sign up to get my ass beat by a sarcastic teenager. I'm out of here,"_

" _Same here,"_ another remarked.

" _Get back here and deal with him!"_ Johann ordered. _"He's just a chained up, sick, and defenseless kid!"_

" _Defenseless?! He knocked out our friend by headbutting him once; then kicking his feet out from under him all while chained! You wanna come over here and take care of him, be my friggin guest!"_ one of the men sassed.

" _With pleasure,"_ Johann said. Instantly the sound of chains jingling was heard; then someone gasping for air and coughing; it was Hiccup, and it sounded like he was being choked.

" _Johann, stop. Johann! Johann, enough; you'll kill him!"_ Krogan said quickly. Everything went quiet. _"What the fuck is wrong with you!"_ Krogan demanded. At that moment, I felt my heart stop. Was Hiccup dead? _"You're goddamn lucky that he's still breathing. Everyone out of the cellar! And you, Johann. I don't care how annoying or disobedient the little shit gets; no killing. I know how easy it would be, and believe me; I'd love to shoot him between the eyes or watch the life drain from his eyes as I choke the life out of him…But Drago will have both our heads,"_ Krogan warned.

"So…? Any work for us?" Ryker inquired now.

" _Johann and I have to pick Drago up tonight; we lost our guards for the overnight shift to watch the boy. You two can handle him, can't you?"_ Krogan asked.

"I'm sure he won't be a problem for us, and if he is; we know how to deal with it," Ryker huffed.

" _Good. He stays chained up all night, no food or water. That's his punishment for disobeying work orders. Come any time. Town of Dragon Hunter. Dock A-2, warehouse number five,"_ Johann informed.

"We'll be there in an hour," Viggo said. The call ended after that as he looked at Spitelout, Hoark, and Alvin. "We got him," I figured Viggo and Ryker probably could have done this all on their own, but perhaps they needed the extra manpower to get Hiccup out without anyone getting hurt. I couldn't even begin to describe my emotions right now; they found Hiccup at last.


	75. Not Over Yet

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Not Over Yet

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Thursday, June 16, 2022-9:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The conversation heard was something that scared and worried everyone in the room when Viggo placed a call to Krogan Hunters, one of Drago Bludvist's second in commands to try and get a location for where he was at, and if Hiccup was there too. What got overheard was Hiccup in the middle of a beat down, but apparently even while chained up, sick, and weak; he knocked someone out for threatening to hurt Astrid and Runa. It seemed Hiccup's fiery spirit was still active or was until Johann choked him into an unconscious state, and might have killed him if Krogan hadn't stepped in to remind Johann that Drago would kill them if Hiccup ended up dead before he arrived. At one point, Gobber had to put his hand over Valka's mouth to keep her from sobbing or demanding that they leave her son alone.

All anyone gathered from the call is that Hiccup was confident he would be rescued and didn't care what they did to him, but he would not give up. That was some relief, but who knew the shape Hiccup was in after two days with these people. Also, Hiccup was chained up and being kept in some kind of cellar of a warehouse in the town of Dragon Hunter. Thankfully, Viggo and Ryker's infiltration into Drago's organization allowed them access to things that the police and ABI would never have found without their help. And now, Viggo and Ryker had been assigned to watch Hiccup overnight, as such; they had the exact address of where Hiccup was being kept. Relief swept over many people, but of course, not everyone was out of the woods yet. Hiccup was still captive and needed to be rescued immediately.

"You know where my son is! Go get him!" Valka finally demanded to Viggo and Ryker.

"It's not that simple, Mrs. Haddock," Ryker informed.

"My brother speaks the truth, unfortunately. Knowing the location means nothing when there are workers there; we've only been assigned to watch Hiccup overnight," Viggo stated.

"What that means is that even with them having access to Hiccup, doesn't mean they can get him out with everyone around," Spitelout rubbed between his eyes.

"Why are they going to get Drago tonight if he's not due back until tomorrow?" Eret decided to ask.

"One theory is that Johann and Krogan have been reporting to him about Hiccup's status as a prisoner. Hiccup did manage to send a distress text, and it's clear he's not giving them an easy time. Perhaps Drago is returning this evening to kill Hiccup tonight," Ryker shrugged.

"THEN GO GET HIM!" Valka ordered.

"Val, shut up!" Alvin sighed. "We can't just storm the place. For all we know Drago ordered for Hiccup to be killed if any cops show up. And we know now that Hiccup is being kept chained up in a basement of a warehouse on the docks in Dragon Hunter,"

"Alvin is right; this is not a bust in operation," Hoark rubbed his chin a bit. "But we do have you two," he pointed to Viggo and Ryker. "Alright, here's what we're going to do to ensure Hiccup is rescued safely. Viggo and Ryker will arrive on their own and report by text message how many people are there, and what type of security methods are present. One of them needs to get access to Hiccup and see the state he is in before we do anything else,"

"And once one of us is with Hiccup to protect him; ABI and police can storm the building, or we can tell them the safest route to get Hiccup out," Viggo nodded.

"Do it then…" Stoick gave a head nod of approval.

"Alright, let's move. We don't know what kind of time we have before Drago arrives back in the Archipelago. Krogan does fly a dragon, and he could be picking Drago up that way, which we all know is faster than plane or ship," Ryker reminded. "Ready brother?"

"Let's go save the boss," Viggo replied. "Be present in Dragon Hunter, but do not move in on the warehouse until we have access to Hiccup," he added.

"We'll be waiting," Spitelout said. Viggo and Ryker headed out of the Ballroom doors, and Viggo gave a whistle as his Monstrous Nightmare, Frelser, descended and the two brothers mounted up and headed North.

"Let's give them a head start, then we can follow," Hoark insisted. "Everyone get ready,"

"Yes, sir!" police and ABI agents replied. Astrid had her hands clasped together, praying that everything went alright in the rescue. Hiccup had been found, and soon, he would be home again.

 **. . .**

 _ **{10:15 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon Hunter; Dock A-2, Warehouse # 5)**_

Viggo and Ryker arrived and set down as they were met by Johann outside the warehouse entrance. Hoark was leading his team and police to Dragon Hunter, and positioned themselves close, but wouldn't move in until they had to go ahead from Viggo or Ryker.

"Drago will be here in twenty minutes. You are to make sure that boy stays locked up until Drago arrives; we've ensured he's awake because that's what Drago wants," Johann informed.

"Got it. Where's he at?" Ryker asked.

"Come," Johann motioned for them to follow. Once inside the warehouse, Johann took them towards; then he pulled a lever a floor panel began to rise up revealing the lower level. Two workers provided a ladder down as Johann brought them into the basement. Laying slumped on the floor, barely conscious from another beating, and still chained to the wall was Hiccup.

"Doesn't seem like he'll be giving much trouble," Viggo remarked.

"Likely not, but don't take your eyes off him. The boy is clever and full of tricks," Johann stated. "I'm staying behind to oversee work getting done, but Krogan is going to retrieve Drago,"

"Understood," Viggo nodded. Johann left as Ryker and Viggo followed out and checked around before going Viggo moved back down.

"This just got a whole lot harder…" Ryker whispered as he kept watch for anyone coming near.

"No, we just need to adjust the plan a bit," Viggo said as he moved over to Hiccup and crouched before him.

"Took you…long enough," Hiccup mumbled weakly.

"My apologies, boss. There were problems getting your family to trust us," Ryker said.

"Astrid spoke on our behalf, and we called Krogan to find out where you were," Viggo enlightened as Hiccup got help sitting upright.

"Just…get me out of here," Hiccup panted. "I really don't know if I can take any more beatings…"

"Not to worry. ABI has the place surrounded, and just waiting to move in once we remove you safely," Viggo assured. Hiccup managed a nod as he coughed and nearly threw up. "What's wrong?"

"A migraine and overall sick since Tuesday night…" Hiccup mumbled as Viggo worked to pick the locks on the chains around his wrists.

"They won't budge…Ryker, what's going on up there?" Viggo asked.

"Too many people to bring him up and out," Ryker reported.

"We need a distraction," Viggo sighed "And to get these chains off,"

" _We'll take care of it,"_ Hoark said in Viggo's earpiece. Not more than two minutes later, Johann was shouting orders to keep the police back.

"He's coming this way…" Ryker warned.

"Kn-Knock me…Out…" Hiccup told Viggo.

"What?" Viggo asked.

"Knock me unconscious, throw me over your shoulder and get me out by telling Johann that you're moving me to avoid ABI and Police from finding me here," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, you can't take any more abuse," Viggo reminded.

"I'll be okay…Just do it. Johann has orders to kill me if anyone comes to rescue me; this is the only way. Now, do it. I don't pay you to disobey orders…" Hiccup grumbled.

"Johann, kill the boy! Police and ABI have entered!" Krogan called.

"Sorry, Hiccup…" Viggo said apologetically before socking him in the gut hard. Hiccup's body went limp as he fell unconscious. Johann jumped down with a gun in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Johann demanded quickly.

"Drago wants to kill him, right? Let Viggo, and I take the boy out and hide, so the authorities don't find him," Ryker said.

"I have orders to kill him now," Johann remarked.

"And take the fun out of a slow death?" Viggo asked as Johann paused. "Tell us how to sneak him out, and we'll hide until this passes," he added.

"Fine," Johann closed his eyes.

"Ryker, now!" Viggo ordered. Johann looked quickly as Ryker rushed in and punched Johann unconscious, leaving him lying there. After that, Ryker and Viggo worked together to snap the chain connected to the wall. It left Hiccup still shackled, but at least they could move him now. Ryker took Hiccup over his shoulder as Viggo and Ryker climbed out to see the chaos in the warehouse.

"We'll take care of this; get him out of here and home," Hoark ordered.

"Done. Johann is in the cellar," Viggo reported; then he and Ryker headed outside to get on Frelser and return to Haddock Manor.

 **. . .**

 _ **{11:05 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

The flight back was long as they didn't feel a need to rush anymore. Hiccup was safe with them, and on his way home. Frelser landed in the backyard as Viggo patted the Nightmare's neck and jumped down; then helped Ryker hold Hiccup as the two carefully carried him inside the home where Valka was in a fury of hysterics.

"My baby…Oh, my baby boy…What have they done to you?!" Valka sobbed as Ryker and Viggo got Hiccup on the couch. "Why are these chains on him still?!"

"We didn't have time to work the locks with everything going on," Ryker sighed as Viggo knelt down and began to finagle with the chains once more. After about three minutes; there was a click, and the chains collapsed to the floor. Ryker used his knife to deal with the ropes that were under the shackles. Viggo and Ryker moved back a bit as Valka hurried in with Stoick. Hiccup had cuts, bruises, split lip, and that was just on his face. There was no telling how bad it was beneath the clothes; there was no telling what Hiccup went through in the beatings. "We should take him to the hospital; he's still unconscious from before,"

"Actually…He was awake when we got to him," Viggo stated. "Hiccup told us to knock him out for the escape, to play it off that we were removing him before the cops came,"

"He'll be up soon," Ryker said. As if on queue; Hiccup began to stir a bit and make small noises.

"Hiccup?" Valka said quickly with tears in her eyes. Hiccup groaned a bit as he turned his head side to side and finally opened his eyes slowly, blinking to focus and look around. Hiccup saw that he was back home in the Great Room; then looking to his left, he saw his parents, Gobber, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and girlfriend. "M-Mom?"

"Yes. Yes; it's me, baby. Oh, thank the Gods you're awake…" Valka cried a bit. Hiccup put a hand on his forehead as he slowly forced himself to sit up, trying to ignore the pain his entire body was in.

"Stay down, son," Stoick offered. Hiccup shook his head as Viggo and Ryker moved in to help him out.

"Thanks, guys," Hiccup said. "I owe you one,"

"I'd say we're even," Viggo informed. "You saved us a while back, and now we've saved you,"

"Guess that does make us even," Hiccup stated. "I'll send you your final payment by bank, and I guess that's the end of business between us,"

"Well, the job isn't over yet," Ryker reminded.

"You two have done more than enough; I can't ask you to continue risking yourselves after this. You have both have daughters to be around for," Hiccup reminded.

"As do you, my friend. You have your daughter, girlfriend, family, and friends who love and need you as well. Yet, you still risked yourself to protect them from a very dangerous, psychotic man who wants to start the second dragon/human war. If you have to bear the burden of being a target for stopping all this; then we will as well. You don't have to ask us to do anything. You have our loyalty and friendship for life, Hiccup Haddock. Whatever you need; we're only a phone call away," Viggo stated with a smile as Ryker nodded.

"I appreciate that, and I expect you know that you can call me for anything as well," Hiccup smiled a bit. Viggo offered his hand as Hiccup connected his; then did the same with Ryker's hand.

"That being established…What's next, boss?" Ryker asked. Hiccup thought about it for a moment.

"Nothing else gets done!" Hoark stated firmly upon entering. "Hiccup, we just got you out of a dangerous situation; do not put yourself back in! I forbid it and if I have to arrest you to see it through; I will!" Hoark snapped his fingers as two agents got Hiccup's hands behind his back and cuffed him.

"Release him!" Stoick ordered.

"Your son interfered in an ABI top priority investigation, Mayor Haddock," Hoark reminded.

"Dad…It's fine," Hiccup said softly. "I know what I did was wrong. I kept secrets, I lied about things, and I endangered my life doing it…If Hoark wants to arrest me; then I won't fight him…But before you take me, Agent Haggard…Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Hoark asked.

"Who actually got more of the work done here?" Hiccup stared at Hoark, who went to say something, but then stopped. "You efforts are noted, Agent Hoark, and I understand this situation is ABI top priority, but what did you accomplish in this venture? Your entire bureau has been searching for Drago and trying to nail him for an arrest for Thor only knows how long, and you haven't made a dent until I intervened," Hiccup asked.

"We were doing fine; these things take time, Hiccup," Hoark informed.

"How much more time did you need?" Hiccup forced himself to stand up before the man. "Astrid's parents were killed in November of 2021. She became an instant target in January, and only then did you tie her assault cases to your Drago one because of Krogan trying to kidnap her. I became her bodyguard until you got this squared away, but how far have you gotten without my intervention? I called Viggo and Ryker the night I left the station after meeting you and told them to infiltrate and get information about what Drago was after, and to protect Astrid from a distance on the off chance I wasn't around,"

"Hiccup, you're not an officer or agent; you can't just insert-," Hoark began.

"How much of Drago did you know about, aside from the madman-wants to take over the world bit?" Hiccup asked calmly. Hoark put a finger up. "Did you know Drago planted that Red Death on Dragon Island years ago when he lost to Colden Hofferson in the first election for Mayorship? Did you know that Colden was secretly working on locating an ancient artifact known as the Dragon Eye and kept all his work and maps in a sealed safe that was hidden in the Mayor's office in a small trap door in a closet under a patch of rug. A safe that could only be opened with two matching silver keys?" he pushed.

Hiccup moved next to Astrid and lifted her pendant. "Two keys that no one would suspect is a heart-shaped pendant worn by Colden's only daughter that happened to open up as a locket, and then the two hearts apart fit the lock to open said safe. How about that Drago wanted the Dragon Eye to locate a Bewilderbeast; the King of Dragons, an Alpha species to thrust the world into Dragon War Two with him as the supreme ruler. Tell me, Agent Hoark, did you know any of that?"

"No…" Hoark answered truthfully.

"And you never thought to put people in the inside undercover to discover his plans to take over?" Hiccup asked.

"It was a consideration," Hoark replied.

"So instead of going with that idea; you continued to just stay in your office and wait for tips or whatever while Astrid was Drago's target. Sorry, Agent Haggard, but I couldn't sit by and do nothing while Astrid's life and the lives of everyone else on this island were at stake. I know what I did is illegal, and if you want to arrest me for it, go ahead, but don't forget that Drago is still out there and as long as he is…Nobody is safe. Now, you can lock me up for interfering, or you can let me finish this, and we'll work together while I still have the upper hand,"

All eyes were on Hoark now, wondering if he'd arrest Hiccup. Finally, the man sighed as he moved behind Hiccup and uncuffed him. "No more secrets, Mr. Haddock. I will award credit where it's due; you did get farther in your efforts over just a few months than myself, and the ABI did in years. You are a brave, selfless, intelligent young man; we could use young agents like you as part of the team," Hoark said. "I want to know everything since this began, and you will leave nothing out,"

"I will tell you everything, just let me finish this up first," Hiccup informed.

"No, we all finish this. Our force and your brains," Spitelout stated. "Where do we go from here; you have mine and the departments full support,"

"Mine and the ABI's as well," Hoark nodded. Hiccup faced Viggo and Ryker now.

"Orders?" the two asked. Hiccup thought for a moment.

"You two ever figure out why Drago left the Archipelago this past week?" Hiccup inquired.

"Unfortunately, no. We knew it had to do with another effort to take over," Viggo informed.

"Not the update I was hoping for. Alright; this is what we're gonna do. You two are gonna go back in and see what you can find out. Anything at all to give his location or what his plan is. Scope it out first, make sure your cover wasn't blown. If it's not safe, return to me," Hiccup said.

"Done," Viggo nodded.

"You defeated Red Death and destroyed the Dragon Eye…What can he possibly still do?" Ryker pushed.

"If Drago were giving up and didn't want to get caught; he wouldn't risk coming back to the Archipelago after all this. Trust me…He got desperate enough to kidnap me after two of his plans failed because I stopped them. That means he wanted me gone to carry out something else so I couldn't get in the way. I'm sure he's still gunning for me, but regardless; Drago's planning something, and we need to know what," Hiccup reminded.

"Consider it done, boss," Viggo and Ryker both said before quickly hurrying outside to mount Frelser and fly off.

"With that out of the way, which I'll expect updates on…" Hoark said as Hiccup nodded. "Before anything else…Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital? When is the last time you ate or had something to drink?"

"Don't worry about me," Hiccup insisted. "I will be okay. I've been sick since Tuesday afternoon anyway, so I haven't had much of an appetite. I didn't trust anything those people gave me, and the smell of food made me throw up, so I haven't eaten in two days. I stuck to water when it was available," he informed.

"I think it's time you tell me everything about your involvement," Hoark sighed.

"I think it's time we let the boy get a shower and proper night's sleep," Alvin interjected. "Come on, Hoark; he was chained to a wall in a basement for two days, and had the shit beat out of him for refusing to do whatever it was they wanted. I think he's earned the rest of tonight and tomorrow to recuperate; he is still sick," the man pushed.

"A-And graduation is on Saturday," Astrid piped up.

"I suppose given the circumstances I can allow a little more time before an explanation. Very well…Monday the 20th, Hiccup; I expect you in my office to discuss things," Hoark said.

"Aye, sir," Hiccup yawned a little. Hoark rounded up his team, and they were all gone by 11:45 pm. Spitelout ordered for his officers to clean things up, return them to the station; then head home to rest.

"You need to rest now, son," Valka said softly. "Go on up to bed," she offered.

"We'll help him out," Thuggory offered. The group of friends helped Hiccup get to the elevator, so he didn't have to climb the stairs. Once in Hiccup's room, Hiccup went right for his daughter to snuggle her a bit while the rest sat around to give him his space because, after this, Hiccup would likely take a shower and get some much needed sleep. Of course, all anyone sitting in the room could think and know without a doubt is that this wasn't over yet.


	76. Today Is The Day

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Today Is The Day

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 17, 2022-12:45 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

I couldn't believe the state Hiccup was in when Viggo and Ryker returned him home to us. And moreso; I couldn't process that Hiccup was nearly arrested, then let go for proving to Agent Haggard that Hiccup's interference got them farther in the Drago Bludvist case than ever before. I was surprised that Hoark let Hiccup go, and stay involved. I guess even though Hiccup meddled where he shouldn't; Hoark couldn't argue that Hiccup's efforts have proven Drago isn't innocent and once they catch him; he's going away for a long time, and that was the entire goal. Everything made so much sense to me now after seeing Viggo and Ryker show up at Haddock Manor wanting to help find Hiccup. Viggo and Ryker Grimborn were brothers who Hiccup had helped in the past, and they, in turn, gave their full loyalty and friendship to Hiccup. When I was in danger, Hiccup put Viggo and Ryker on infiltration duty to find out how Dragon was connected to my parents' deaths, and why he still wanted me.

Hiccup used that information to shut down Drago's two attempts at world domination and turn Drago's attention onto himself so that I would be safe from being a target. Hiccup and Toothless beat Red Death and destroyed the Dragon Eye. It infuriated Drago enough to order a hit on Hiccup's life, and that turned into Hiccup being kidnapped for two days, beaten, and whipped by workers at the warehouse in Dragon Hunter. I still don't know the extent of what Hiccup went through, but I wouldn't make Hiccup tell me anything; I was just happy he was home now. It was well past midnight now; Hiccup spent about thirty minutes with his daughter, privately, in Runa's nursery. I'm pretty sure I heard Runa crying and repeating _dada_ as Hiccup held and tried to soothe the one-year-old. Hell, I'm almost positive I heard Hiccup crying in relief that he was able to hold her again, promising that he was home and never leaving again.

Hiccup put Runa back to sleep around 12:10 am; then he moseyed into the bathroom for a shower. I was sitting with our friends still while Hiccup remained in the bathroom for another thirty or so minutes. Finally, the door open and he emerged wearing a pair of black and green basketball shorts, but no shirt. All our eyes laid on his upper half, which was covered in welts, bruises, cuts, whip, and burn marks. None of it would leave scars, and didn't look so bad with Hiccup out of the shower now. Hiccup moved to his dresser to get a shirt, and once that was on, he sat on the edge of his bed and laid back.

"So, it's been a couple days…How's everyone been?" Hiccup asked.

"Here, every day after school, hoping to find out if you were still alive," Snotlout remarked.

"Did you seriously think I wouldn't be?" Hiccup sat up a bit. How was Hiccup so casual about this!? He was kidnapped, beaten, whipped, burned, and almost killed! I got up and pushed him down. "Ow…Hey, what gives, Ast?" he asked.

"You idiot! What is wrong with you! You went and got yourself kidnapped, and almost killed! Do you have any idea how scared I was when I found your phone backstage calling Emergency SOS? How worried I've been since we realized you were taken! How miserable Runa has been without her father!" I yelled at him as Hiccup stared at me. "How much I've been blaming myself…"

"What? Astrid, why? You didn't do anything to cause this," Hiccup got to his feet.

"Yes. Yes, I did. You wanting to protect me from Drago did this. You did everything to get his attention off me and on you, even illegal things that got you taken by him to be killed, and nearly arrested by the ABI. You should never have saved me from that snowstorm…All of this…Is my fault," I lowered my head.

I felt Hiccup's arms wrap around me and the tears in my eyes began to fall as I buried my face in his chest, crying a bit. "I couldn't lose you too, Astrid. I can't imagine a world without you in it," Instantly, my eyes widened as I pulled back and stared at him in shock.

"Wh-What did you just say?" I asked slowly.

"That I can't imagine a world without you in it? I know why you looked surprised; that's what you said to me in the hospital just before I woke up from the coma after Red Death," Hiccup informed. "Astrid, I lost you once when the popularity went to your head. I told you this the day you jumped off the roof at school; I had just got you back; I didn't want to lose you again. The day of the car accident; I told you that you meant more to me than a car did because the vehicle was replaceable and you are not. Every time you got targeted; I was there to stop it or find a way to save you,"

"I refused to lose you or risk anyone else getting hurt. What choice did I have but to involve myself at the start and keep Drago's attention on me? It's not your fault, Astrid. Everything that's happened to me is because I brought it on myself; I planned it," I gasped a bit. "Getting kidnapped wasn't part of the plan, or having the hit put out on me. I was kind of hoping just to draw Drago out to be captured. But those accidental, not planned things were taken into the risk, and that's why the only person I messaged on Tuesday was Viggo. Plan B was to get as much info as they could; then take it to police and gather a bigger force to distract Drago's people and get me out. I set the wheels of my rescue in motion two hours after I was taken,"

"It was stupid and dangerous!" I screamed at him, tears still falling as I lightly hit my fists into his chest. "We were with Viggo and Ryker when they called Krogan tonight; we heard them hurting you and Johann choking you! You were almost killed!"

"But it was my choice, Astrid. You did nothing to bring this on; I did by choice. And I chose to do it to protect my family, my friends, my daughter…And you," Hiccup cupped my cheeks with his hands and smiled a little. "I told you always to have faith in me, Milady. I'm a man of my word above all else," he used his thumbs to wipe my tears. "All I need is for you to trust me, remember?"

I sniffled a bit and nodded my head. "I do, Hiccup. I do, but you have no idea how scared I was…"

"About as scared as I was when that guy threatened to go after Runa and you," Hiccup admitted.

"Would you have done it?" Eret asked. "Killed him?"

"It's hard to say what someone will do when pushed past the limit. I may have snapped and gone after anyone who tried to hurt you all, or maybe I would have just beat people into unconsciousness. It would have been, as I said, a moment of temporary insanity, and I wouldn't have been in much trouble given the circumstances," Hiccup explained then looked back at me. "I hope you see now why I was scared on Prom night…You remember what I told you, yes?" I nodded to him, recalling that night when Hiccup said he was scared to make love to me in case he fell for me hard, then ended up losing me. "No matter what happens; you all will be safe, and I will be alright. Everything is okay, Astrid. I promise,"

I hugged him tightly again; then we kissed lightly. "I'm thankful you're home," I sighed out afterward, laying my head on his chest.

"Told you that I would always come home. Are you okay now? Do you need anything?" Hiccup asked gently. I looked up at him.

"You…Just you," I whispered. "That's all I want,"

"Then you can have me for as long as you desire. I am yours as long as you want me to be, but you do have to share with Runa and my mother at times," Hiccup chuckled a little as he lifted my chin up; I nodded to him as he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

 _=Normal POV=_

Astrid forgot the two of them were in Hiccup's room with their friends around as she melted into the kiss fully. Hiccup deepened the kiss more as Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to be careful so she didn't hurt him knowing what he'd just suffered for two days. It did not take long for Hiccup and Astrid to start making out.

Dagur stood quickly, pulling Mala up with him. "We should go, now," he advised.

"Why? We can handle them making out," Eret stated. Hiccup pressed her against the wall. Astrid let out a gasp-like moan.

"Do you really wanna be in here when they start fucking?" Dagur asked.

"Oh, come on; they won't…" Heather informed.

"Yeah, we will and are about to, so…I'd get out," Hiccup warned. Astrid reached for the bottom of Hiccup's shirt, yanking it up as they broke the kiss for the shirt to come off and get tossed aside. Hiccup's hands went under Astrid's shirt, unclipping her bra as it loosened and the straps fell off her shoulders.

"Okay, time to go!" Fishlegs grabbed Heather's hand as they hurried out. Not long after, the rest hauled ass out of the room too. Hiccup led Astrid to the bed and sat her down as he locked the bedroom door, then the Sitting Room one. Hiccup drew the shades to the room before dimming the lights a bit. Astrid giggled a bit as Hiccup crawled up between her legs and captured her lips again.

"Good way to make them leave," Astrid said afterward. "Ready to get some sleep?"

"Oh, I was dead serious about the sex, Milady," Hiccup admitted as Astrid blushed a bit.

"Y-You were?" Astrid stammered.

"Please?" Hiccup asked.

"You sure your body is up for it? I don't want you to hurt yourself…" Astrid frowned.

"You. Just you," Hiccup buried his face into her neck, placing kisses along it. Astrid panted a bit, biting her bottom lip. "That's all I need right now," he breathed against her neck.

"Then you have me as long as you want; I'm yours as long as you want me to be," Astrid replied. It was the very same thing that they said to one another moments before the kissing when Astrid said she needed him, and Hiccup said that she could have him as long as she wanted, and he was hers as long as she wanted him to be. Astrid kissed Hiccup's lips passionately, their foreheads pressed together afterward. "Make love to me,"

 **. . .**

 _ **{1:05 am}**_

 **[Lemon Start]**

Hiccup captured Astrid's lips again as the making out resumed where it had stopped when everyone was in the room. Hiccup didn't know why he wanted Astrid so badly tonight, but he did, and it seemed Astrid wanted the same. Maybe it was just them caught up in the fact Hiccup was home safe and sound, or that the feelings between them were growing more. Neither of them knew or questioned it because they were doing what they agreed on in the beginning; going with the flow of things between them. If that meant they ended up having sex, so be it.

Hiccup pulled Astrid up as he practically tore off her shirt and bra; tossing them out of the way. The making out continued while Astrid's hands moved lower to Hiccup's shorts; yanking them down with Hiccup's boxers. Hiccup helped her out once the waistband was at his knees and took them off the rest of the way. Hiccup was already fully erect as he pushed Astrid down and got her jeans and underwear off. With both of them nude, Hiccup massaged her breasts a bit while kissing from her lips down to her pussy and diving into eating her out.

"Oh, Gods! Hiccup!" Astrid moaned. Hiccup licked up and down, inserting his tongue a bit then sucking on her clit lightly. Astrid was already breathing heavy while the orgasm drew closer in so little time of starting. Hiccup brought his left hand to her pussy and pushing in two fingers to Astrid's wet core. "Mm…Fuck…" Astrid arched a bit. Hiccup continued until Astrid threw her head back and grabbed a fistful of his auburn hair. "Ah…Ah! Hiccup…I'm cumming!" she announced breathlessly as she released and squirted a bit. Hiccup stopped and wiped his mouth. Astrid recovered while they kissed a bit, then she rolled Hiccup onto his back and kissed down to his length.

Astrid held Hiccup's cock in her hand while beginning to suck on him instantly. "Gods…Astrid," Hiccup breathed out as he relaxed a little. Astrid continued sucking and licking along the length for a few seconds; then she adjusted her fingers to the way Hiccup taught her, starting to stroke as well. Hiccup's breathing hitched as he groaned in pleasure. "Fuck me…Just like that…Yes…" he moaned. Astrid picked up speed as Hiccup grit his teeth. "I'm gonna cum…" he warned. Astrid kept up her actions as Hiccup's breathing increased. Hiccup's hand went on her head. "Gah…I'm cumming!" Hiccup informed as his length twitched in Astrid's hand; then he came quickly. Astrid kept her head in place as Hiccup released and came in her mouth. After; Astrid swallowed and licked him clean before pulling off and smiling at him.

"I should…Not…Have taught you…What makes me cum so fast…" Hiccup tried to catch his breath.

"That was your mistake…" Astrid grinned a bit. Hiccup arched a brow at her, then flipped Astrid onto her back beneath him. Hiccup kissed her deeply and stared down at her.

"Nothing with you is a mistake…" Hiccup enlightened as he sat back on his knees and reached into his nightstand drawer for one of the condoms in the box. After quickly tearing it open and getting it on, Hiccup placed himself at Astrid's entrance; then he pushed in fast.

"Gods, yes!" Astrid moaned out with her hands on Hiccup's arms. Hiccup kept rocking his hips back and forth, bringing his cock in and out of Astrid's core. Just like the first time; Hiccup and Astrid switched positions every five to ten minutes. They would slow down and enjoy making out to draw things out, or just go nuts with it. Hiccup had Astrid on her hands and knees, on her back with legs over his shoulder; then his arms a few minutes after. Hiccup let Astrid ride him; then he took over to thrust upward into her. Following that, Astrid decided to ride Hiccup in reverse cowgirl.

Astrid actually asked Hiccup if he would fuck her up against the wall again, and he had no problem doing so. The two even fucked on the couch. One position was Astrid bent over the arm, and then the other was on a chair with her riding Hiccup again. Once back on the bed, Hiccup fucked her while both were on their sides before he got on his knees and held one of her legs over his shoulder while Astrid remained on her side. Finally, the ending position where they were now was how it all began in missionary. The time was about 4:45 am with both Hiccup and Astrid enjoying multiple orgasms. Hiccup had three all together, and Astrid had about five. Each time Hiccup came; they would change condoms. Hiccup was now out and would need to restock before the next romp.

"Hiccup…I'm gonna cum…" Astrid panted.

"Me too…" Hiccup kissed her afterward, laying on top of her and moving his hips up and down quickly.

"Mm…Yeah…More. More, baby…I'm right there…" Astrid kissed his cheek softly. Both of them were soaked with swear, hair a mess, bed looking like a tornado had come through. Hiccup adjusted himself only slightly to hit her G-Spot hard and fast. Astrid arched her back and tightened her core walls around his cock. "Yes! Yes…Gods! Hiccup! I'm cumming!"

Hiccup drew his hips back once more and slammed in as he felt Astrid squirt and then her walls gripped around his length. Hiccup buried his face in Astrid's neck as he released fast. Astrid's pussy contracted around him, and his cock twitched, this happened after both had cum. Panting hard to catch their breath, bodies trembling with pleasure; they kissed a few more times.

 **[Lemon End]**

"You know…We have school at 7:30 am, right?" Astrid reminded, still trying to recover.

"Yep…Don't care right now," Hiccup admitted. After ten minutes, Hiccup slowly withdrew his member and removed the condom to tie it off and throw it away with the other two in the trash bin. Hiccup grabbed something for Astrid to clean up with; then himself as they cuddled up in Hiccup's bed together with Astrid laying on his shoulder; her arm around his midsection, and his arm wrapped around hers while he remained on his back.

"Hiccup…I-I love you," Astrid said. The two of them had never said it before, but now Astrid had. "I know it's not the best thing to say after sex, especially when we've never said it before…But I just…It feels right to say it, for me at least. I-I love you," Hiccup never replied; he was awake but didn't know what to say as this took him by surprise. Did he say it back? Did he even return the feelings? Of course, Hiccup knew he liked Astrid a lot but did he love her? Hiccup was conflicted about responding; he needed time to think things through. For now; he couldn't bring himself to say it back to her. "Hiccup? Did you hear me?" Astrid asked. Hiccup felt awful for doing it, but he pretended to be asleep already. "Guess not, but I know he's tired after the last two days of being a prisoner," she smiled some and kissed his lips softly. "Sweet dreams, Hiccup," then Astrid too drifted off to sleep.

 **. . .**

 _ **{Saturday, June 18, 2022-2:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory)**_

"Alright, Seniors. I know we're half an hour behind schedule, but let's pick right up and get to it for one more practice run before 4 pm!" Mogadon called out to the Senior Class. The students all groaned but did as they were told and began lining up according to the last name. It was the final run-through before the graduation ceremony at 4 pm. Friday had been more of the same even being that Hiccup missed two days because of the kidnapping. On Friday morning, Hiccup and Astrid slowly and tiredly woke up at 6 am after having sex from 1 am to 4:45 am. However, they were overjoyed to learn that they weren't needed for practice until 1 pm, so they skipped breakfast and went back to sleep until 12:15 pm. The two showered had a quick lunch; then hurried to the school where they met the rest of their friends. Hiccup and Astrid learned that their friends slept over, but were gone by 9 am to get home and showered for 1 pm's graduation meet at Archian Prep.

Hiccup spoke with Mr. Meatsen about a few things and informed the man he was fine to do what he was asked, which was give a speech and perform a song. Hiccup allowed Mogadon to sample just the chorus of the song he wrote, and the man accepted it instantly. And in just a few hours; he would be singing it live at the actual ceremony. This was it when they left Archian Preparatory today; they were High School graduates and never had to come back. The whole year had been crazy, but now; things seemed to be falling into place. Hiccup kept looking at Astrid, seeing her smile and it warmed his heart while he thought about early Friday morning after they'd finished making love. Astrid told Hiccup she loved him, and he didn't say it back, but now he wanted to. Hiccup knew he loved Astrid; he always had, things just got a little mixed up over the years.

Now, Astrid was in his life again and they had been dating for two months, had incredible sex twice…Hiccup knew for sure that he loved her and he was going to tell her as soon as they graduated. Today was the day.


	77. A Thing Or Two

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

A Thing Or Two

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, June 18, 2022-3:50 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Dragon Training Field)**_

Hiccup was on edge, and all his friends could see it as they were dressed in cap and gown, lined up, and ready to march out in ten minutes for the ceremony. Astrid didn't want to interrupt whatever Hiccup was thinking about, but she was worried for him. Snotlout looked back at her since they were all spread out and mouthed; _ask if he's alright._ Astrid sighed as she went to confront Hiccup.

"Babe?" Astrid asked.

"Hm? What's up? You okay?" Hiccup smiled at her.

"Yes, I was just…Worried about you," Astrid stated.

"Me? Whatever for?" Hiccup blinked.

"You seem like your in your own world. All our friends are concerned that something is going on that you're not telling us," Astrid said softly.

"I've just got a bad feeling, Ast. Toothless is on edge; he senses something isn't right. I'm just on guard," Hiccup explained.

"Drago?" Astrid questioned. Hiccup stared at her and nodded once. "Call Hoark, now. We still don't know what Drago is planning, and if he decides to launch an attack today, a lot of people could get hurt…I know you are strong, but everyone needs help sometimes. Call Hoark, and let him know that something feels wrong and to come just in case,"

"You're right," Hiccup nodded as he located his phone and dialed Hoark's number. "Hey, it's me. Look, I don't have any information or updates from my guys…But something doesn't feel right today. My dragon is on edge, and so am I. I don't know if anything will happen, but this is a highly crowded area because of graduation…I don't want to see anyone get hurt,"

" _We'll come prepared for anything and observe,"_ Hoark replied; then the call ended. Hiccup shrugged and put his phone away.

"Hoark said they'd come and observe, but only take action if something happens," Hiccup informed. Astrid smiled a bit and hugged Hiccup tightly.

"I should get back to my spot," Astrid informed as she went to walk away, but Hiccup grabbed her hand gently.

"Astrid, wait," Hiccup stopped her as she looked at him with a smile.

"Yeah?" Astrid asked.

"There's something I have to tell you," Hiccup started.

"Okay, go ahead," Astrid invited.

"About yesterday morning…I should have said it then, but-," Hiccup began.

"Alright, boys and girls; it's time!" Mogadon announced as everyone lined up quickly to their spaces.

"Oh, tell me later, babe. Gods, this is exciting; we're gonna be graduates!" Astrid squealed as she kissed his cheek and hurried back to her place. Hiccup sighed; he would tell her as soon as this was over as long as nothing went wrong.

 **. . .**

 _ **{5:15 pm}**_

An hour and fifteen minutes into the ceremony, everything seemed to be going fine. Still, Hiccup couldn't shake the feeling something awful was about to happen. The ceremony began as planned; the teachers exited first, then Mogadon, and finally, the students. There were so many people here as Archian Prep was the main school for Archia Isle. Parents, siblings, and just some on-lookers. Mogadon Meatsen spoke first to welcome everyone; then a few others stepped up bringing the time to now. Mogadon was back at the podium; it was the time to bring up the Valedictorian.

"I'm proud to announce and welcome to the stage your Archian Preparatory Class of 2022 Valedictorian, Hiccup Haddock!" Mogadon clapped as did everyone else. Hiccup sighed heavily as he rose from his seat and moved up the stairs to the stage; he shook Mogadon's hand as the man stepped back giving the space to Hiccup.

Finally, after a few moments; it quieted down as Hiccup looked out to everyone. "Alright, uh…Thank you, Mr. Meatsen," Hiccup started. "I'm going to be entirely honest here; I did not prepare a speech for this. I had ample time, but as we all know it can happen; life got in the way. So, I'm going to do what I do best and wing it for you," he admitted as a few people laughed. "Most would say that Kindergarten is the start of our independent journey in life. But are we really on our own? We're born, and we get our parents for five to six years teaching us how to walk, talk, and more; they guide and prepare us for school. Now, we're five or six and starting school. Great, but are we on our own? No, because we get not only our parents but teachers as well, guiding and teaching us the essential things we need to know. Yeah; it got harder each grade we ascended into, but can we sit here and say that we were independent?" he asked.

A lot of students said no together or just shook their heads. "However, here we are now. Most of us are seventeen, eighteen, maybe a little older if you stayed back," Hiccup said as more laughed a bit. "What is today to us? Graduation, right? We spent the last twelve years doing homework, classwork, maybe a couple field trips here and there, but we busted our butts to pass and be here today, and about to graduate High School. So is today really the end? Of High School, yes. But not our journies. No, this is only the beginning. Today marks us starting our independence. We're adults; it's up to us to live using all we've gained from our parents and educators. Sure, our parents can offer advice, but they can't tell us how to live anymore. Maybe some of you are going off to college; some might be moving out, some might be working already or leaving here today thinking _Oh, man, this means I gotta get a job_ ,"

"No matter where you're going, or what you choose to do from here on out; it's your choice. This is your time to think about what you wanna do with your lives. This is the time you can make mistakes and learn from them. This is the start of our lives, our independence. So go ahead; mess up, but learn from it and keep going. Never stop. Life is a long road with potholes, rocks, and some mountains. Yeah, you're gonna get knocked down. Things won't go your way. But pick yourself up, brush it off and keep moving forward. This is the beginning, the starting line. No matter what you're going for; you will reach it if you keep going," Hiccup stated looking out to all of them.

"Our lives are a road we constantly move on. And there are mountains we have to climb starting today when you hold your diploma in your hands. You will get tired, you will fall down, and sometimes you will lose, but don't give up. It doesn't matter how fast you get there, and it doesn't matter what's waiting on the other side. Just keep climbing. We all make it there at some point. It's all about the climb because who are we if not shaped by our past and the choices we made along the way. And to help everyone remember that message; I've been working on a little something that was inspired by the girl who gave me those words that I passed on today; Miss. Astrid Hofferson,"

Astrid blushed a bit as Hiccup smiled as he looked to Mogadon and nodded. The man nodded back as Hiccup went behind the stage to grab something, then returned with a guitar strapped around his shoulder and hanging in front of his midsection. Hiccup gave a thumbs up to the person running the music as he pressed a button and it fell quiet.

" _I can almost see it; that dream I'm dreaming. But there's a voice inside my head saying 'you'll never reach it.' Every step I'm taking. Every move I make feels lost with no direction. My faith is shaking. But I…I gotta keep trying. Gotta keep my head held high!"_ Hiccup started while playing the soft notes on his guitar.

" _There's always gonna be another mountain; I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle; sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side! It's the climb!"_ this time, the music picked up more.

" _The struggles I'm facing. The chances I'm taking; sometimes might knock me down, but no, I'm not breaking. I may not know it, but these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most, yeah. Just gotta keep going. And I…I gotta be strong! Just keep pushing on!"_ he sang out as Astrid sniffled a bit; Hiccup took her father's words and turned it into something inspirational and beautiful.

" _Cause there's always gonna be another mountain; I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle; sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side! It's the climb!_ " it became a pretty nice guitar solo as people were smiling, cheering, and swaying together like at a concert during a slow memorial song. The music softened a bit now.

" _There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes you're gonna have to lose!"_ Hiccup sang louder. _"Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side! It's the climb! Yeah, yeah! Keep on moving, keep climbing. Keep the faith, baby! It's all about, all about the climb! Keep the faith; keep your faith! Woah!"_ the music came to an end as everyone jumped up applauding and cheering. Hiccup took a small bow as he went to put his guitar away; then walk off stage to return to his seat. However, something stopped him. Toothless's roar.

"Hiccup!" a voice called. Hiccup looked around seeing Viggo, and Ryker right beside him rushing up. Hiccup grabbed the edge of the stage and jumped down to meet them.

"He's coming, now," Ryker panted.

"What?" Hiccup asked, astonished.

"We don't know how he did it, but he found a Bewilderbeast and Drago is coming here now with an army of dragons," Viggo explained. "He discovered us, and we managed to escape, but he's not far behind to kill us, and you…"

"We'll never be able to clear this place…" Hiccup looked at them.

"He wants you, not them. Take your dragon and get out of here, now!" Ryker told him.

"No; he'll just go after my friends and family if I run away," Hiccup argued.

"Hiccup! That's a hoard of dragons coming this way!" Astrid called to him. Hiccup looked back and saw them flocking towards the area. Hoark, Spitelout, and Alvin came forward.

"What is going on?" Hoark demanded.

"Drago found what he wanted…And he's on his way with that," Hiccup pointed to the mass of dragons. "To kill me. Those things are under the Bewilderbeast's control, and that dragon is a lot stronger than a Red Death…"

"We'll evacuate," Hoark said.

"And go where?! He has an army of dragons, how fucking far do you think we're gonna get without ours! If he takes control of them; we're screwed! It'll be just like with Red Death, and we'll enter the second dragon war," Hiccup glared.

"Then what do we do?" Alvin asked. Hiccup looked down a moment as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'll deal with him," Hiccup informed.

"No. Hiccup, no. This guy is nothing to mess with; he'll kill you, do you understand that?!" Spitelout said quickly.

"We've tried things the other way, and this is where it got us. Let me try a different approach by talking to him. Maybe I can get him to see that things don't have to be this way…" Hiccup offered.

"You can't talk to this guy!" Hoark scolded.

"Do you have a better idea?! This is what I'm good at. At the very least; it buys us some time to figure something else out," Hiccup remarked.

"Fine, but the second things go South, I want you out. Keep your Night Fury next to you," Hoark stated.

"Done," Hiccup nodded. "Toothless!" he called with a whistle to follow. The Night Fury bounded over and sat beside Hiccup as a man walked forward holding a spear like-staff. Behind him was a massive dragon; the Bewilderbeast.

"HICCUP HADDOCK!" the man called. Hiccup turned and faced him as he approached. The male was tall with long black dreads for hair and dark skin. "Johann and Krogan were right; you aren't much, but word around the islands is that you're the kid with the Night Fury who seems to escape, defeat, thwart, and otherwise ruin all my schemes. After you narrowly escaped death on Thursday…I decided that I just had to come to meet you in person,"

"And I was totally right too; you look like a psycho," Hiccup remarked sarcastically. Drago chuckled darkly as the mass of dragons flew overhead in a circle formation around the Bewilderbeast. "So, here we are…What happens now?"

"I plan to kill you," Drago confessed casually.

"Oh, is that so? Well, are you gonna do it?" Hiccup asked.

"Excuse me?" Drago questioned.

"I asked if you were going to kill me since you, uh, kind'a said you were going to," Hiccup stated.

"I am!" Drago glared.

"Then…What are you waiting for? I'm standing right here, completely unarmed. Why the hesitation? Do you actually have any idea at all of what you're doing? I mean…Red Death defeated, Dragon Eye blown to bits…" Hiccup shrugged a bit. "You've been trying to kill me since the Dragon Eye thing…You put a hit out on me and yet…I'm still here. So what's your deal, because it seems to me you just really suck at this world domination thing,"

"You're pretty cocky for a teenager about to die on his graduation day. And I suppose I have you to thank for all that failure," Drago remarked.

"Oh, well in that case; you're welcome for destroying your plans to take over the world. Better luck next time," Hiccup informed. "But I can't take all the credit. I mean, you just admitted to me that they were _your_ failures…" he added. "So, since you've failed…What? Like five times now? How about I offer another way where I don't die, and you just…Let all this take over the world nonsense go?"

"And you think you can stop me?" Drago asked.

"Anything is possible," Hiccup said. "Let's run over this real quick, shall we? You spent the last seven years trying to take over the world, right? You set a Red Death on Dragon Island to buy yourself more time to find a Bewilderbeast, and somehow; I stumbled upon it flying one night and then defeated it. Moving on, you had the Hofferson's killed to gain access to a safe containing maps to the Dragon Eye, which I found, and then destroyed. So…That puts you at 0 for 2 attempts at world domination?" he asked.

Drago glared more. "You got lucky," he said.

"Not luck, skill. Now…Here we are. What do you think you'll accomplish here today?" Hiccup asked.

"I have a dragon army," Drago scoffed.

"I have a Night Fury," Hiccup countered.

"You think you two can stop the Alpha?" Drago laughed a bit.

"We stopped Red Death," Hiccup reminded as Drago narrowed his eyes. "All this loss, for what? To be unstoppable? Rule the world? Dragons are kind, amazing creatures. They bring people together,"

"Or tear them apart," Drago said as he removed his left arm, revealing it to be a prosthetic. "I know what it's like to live in fear of dragons. But I vowed to rise above it. You should understand what it's like as you're missing a limb yourself, and caused by your dragon no less,"

"I don't hold it against him; he saved my life," Hiccup stated. "And newsflash, my life wouldn't have needed saving if someone hadn't planted a mountain-sized dragon an hour away from Archia Isle!" he grumbled.

"Dragons are meant to be controlled," Drago enlightened.

"No, you want dragons to control people. To make them follow you, and get rid of those who don't," Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Clever boy. So you think you know what the world wants? You think the dragons belong here, to be treated as allies, friends…Family?" Drago asked.

"The world wants peace, Drago. The bonds we have with our dragons are stronger than you could ever imagine; just let me show you…" Hiccup tried.

"No. Let me show you!" Drago glared. "AH!" he yelled out, whirling his bullhook around. "AHH!" the Bewilderbeast came forward next to him and stopped when Drago pointed down at the ground with the tip of his weapon. "No dragon can resist the Alpha's command. So he who controls the Alpha," Drago pointed to the Bewilderbeast. "Controls them all," then the motion turned on Toothless. The Night Fury crouched a little before looking at the King of Dragons. The Bewilderbeast stared, his eyes turning to slits and Toothless began reacting right away.

"Toothless…?" Hiccup asked. "Hey, what's wrong?" he tried as Toothless whined, shaking his head and jerking around.

"Witness true strength. The will over others. In the face of it," Drago started as Hiccup looked at him a bit worried. Was Toothless really falling under this thing's power? "You are nothing," Drago pointed at Hiccup as Toothless turned to face him now; his eyes in thin slits as well.

"Um…What did he just tell you?" Hiccup backed up a bit. Toothless prowled, snarling a bit and moving closer. "Stop, snap out of it," he ordered. Toothless moved closer still, and Hiccup continued to inch away slowly with his hands up.

"Hiccup! Get out of there!" Astrid shouted quickly, rising to her feet.

"Toothless, no…" Hiccup tried. The Night Fury didn't respond as he opened his mouth, charging a blast. "Stop.." Hiccup fell back and was cornered with nowhere to go. "NO!" he yelled as Toothless fired. Hiccup covered himself for impact, but it never came. Hiccup felt himself get pushed out of the way and hit the ground hard on his back with someone on top of him. Hiccup panted as he looked to see blonde hair on his chest. Instantly, his eyes widened as he sat up more and the body fell into his arms weakly. "Astrid?..."

"H-Hey…" Astrid smiled a bit.

"Why did you do that! What were you thinking! That blast could have killed you!" Hiccup screamed at her with worry.

"You're always saving me, aren't you?" Astrid fell unconscious.

"Astrid?...Astrid?!" Hiccup tried, shaking her a bit. No response. Toothless was still in position, smoke emitting from his mouth while panting, but still under control. Hiccup's blood ran cold as he quickly checked her breathing and pulse. Thank the Gods; she was alive. Hiccup closed his eyes, lowering his head and kissing Astrid's cheek before standing up and handing her form to Ryker. "Keep her safe…" he said while moving forward.

"W-Wait…Where are you going!?" Viggo asked quickly. Hiccup didn't turn back as he moved closer to Toothless now as Drago was beside the Night Fury, petting his head.

"Oh, you still think you have a chance…" Drago snickered.

"You think what you have is loyalty? A bond with that Bewilderbeast. All you've done is make it fear you to save its own kind who I'm sure you've killed to make it do what you want. You hurt Astrid…And now I'm gonna make you pay…" Hiccup tore off his cap and gown, revealing him in his riding suit. "I'm gonna get my dragon back and show you a thing or two about what happens when you hurt the woman I love and threaten my home. We're gonna finish this, just you and me," he added coldly.


	78. Restored Peace

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Restored Peace

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, June 18, 2022-5:45 pm}**_

 _ **(Archian Preparatory; Dragon Training Field)**_

The area was quiet. This day began as something they would all remember as graduation from High Schoo, but now it's become the day Hiccup was going to flip out and teach someone a lesson in messing with the people he cares about. Immediately after the Valedictorian speech and inspirational song were given, the process of graduating was halted by two people rushing down the center aisle needing Hiccup. Not a lot of what was said got heard, only those close to the small group did and even they didn't understand. Astrid and the friends recognized Viggo and Ryker right away, so did a few others in the crowd. Nothing lasted as Astrid vividly pointed out that a mass of dragons were flying in, and then a man with a colossal dragon made his way forward. Words were exchanged, mostly sarcasm on Hiccup's side, but then the man became angry and ordered his dragon to take control of Toothless, the Night Fury. Toothless moved in to kill Hiccup, but Astrid rushed in and pushed Hiccup and herself out of the way, and the blast hit not more than a foot or two from where Hiccup had been standing.

Astrid went unconscious, and Hiccup's entire demeanor changed to one of determination. Hiccup vowed to show Drago the error of his ways after getting his dragon back, but nobody knew how this would happen. Toothless was under the control of the Bewilderbeast and hadn't listened to Hiccup before, what would be different now. Now, everyone remained where they were, afraid to move.

"Your dragon is perfect to lead the army…" Drago threw his leg over the saddle and struggled to open it, but once he did; Toothless got in the air.

"Toothless!" Hiccup reached for him.

"You're nothing without your dragon," Drago laughed.

"And you're nothing period," Hiccup glared looking up at Drago on Toothless's back. However, Hiccup was faced with a problem. Drago had Toothless, controlled by the Bewilderbeast and Hiccup was stuck on the ground with no way to get up there.

"Hiccup!" Valka called to him, hurrying up with Stoick and Gobber beside him. Alvin, Spitelout, Frida, Termagant, Hoark, and Hiccup's friends were next. Dagur and Mala arrived seconds later. Ryker, still holding Astrid, and Viggo were last. "The Bewilderbeast is rumored to control every dragon, except for baby dragons," she panted.

"Because they don't listen to anyone…" Hiccup remembered as he looked around and spotted the stables. Hiccup made a B-line for it and located a couple of the babies; then released one and got on it's back. Yeah, this was a struggle, but he would be fine. The dragon emerged out of the stables in the air with Hiccup on it's back. High in the air, Hiccup got closer to Drago and Toothless and had the baby dragon hover a bit as he took a deep breath.

"You're certainly hard to get rid of; I'll say that," Drago remarked.

"Toothless…" Hiccup said softly. "Hey, it's me, bud…It's me. It's me, I'm right here, bud. Come back to me," he tried while putting his hand out slowly. Below, Astrid began to shift and awaken as she looked around.

"What's going on?" Astrid inquired.

"Hiccup is going to get Toothless back, and then whoop Drago's ass," Dagur stated as Ryker carefully let Astrid down, and she looked up to watch the scene.

Drago laughed as everyone watched from below. "He's not yours anymore. He belongs to the Alpha now. But please, _Oh, great Dragon Master_ , try to take him. He will not miss a second time,"

"It wasn't your fault, bud. They made you do it…" Hiccup continued as Toothless showed to change. But then, something happened as Hiccup's hand got closer; Toothless whined a bit, shaking his head. "You'd never hurt her. You'd never hurt me…" Hiccup pushed as his hand made contact with Toothless's snout and the Night Fury's eyes went from slits to normal, warbling softly.

"How are you doing that?" Drago asked, surprised and a bit curious.

Toothless's eyes changed to slits again, and he growled at Hiccup. "I won't leave you. I won't let you go, Toothless. I promise. Come on…Everything is alright. Come back to me, please?" he begged as Toothless's eyes returned to normal, him crooning lowly into Hiccup's touch. "Please? You are my best friend, bud…" Hiccup got closer, tears showing in his eyes while Toothless reverted back to being under the control once more. "My best friend…" Hiccup almost whispered, though, everyone heard it because when Hiccup gave his speech; he was wearing a small microphone that apparently was still attached.

Toothless jerked away from Hiccup, growling and warbling as he shook his head; then finally, opened his eyes and looked at Hiccup with big black irises and a smile. Hiccup smiled. "Atta boy! That's it. I'm here!" Hiccup told him as Toothless got excited and moved closer to him. Drago now pissed raised his staff.

"Enough!" Drago hit Toothless with the bullhook, making the Night Fury growl. Drago went to do it again, but this time, Toothless bit the staff and jerked to throw Drago off of his back and falling.

"YEAH!" Hiccup cheered; then Toothless started falling as well. "Hang on," Hiccup called as he jumped off the baby dragon's back and dove for his friend. Drago yelled out as he clipped the hook onto the tusk of the Bewilderbeast and stopped his descent. Hiccup reached for Toothless as they were getting closer to the ground. "Almost there, buddy. Almost there…" Hiccup told him. Toothless turned as Hiccup grabbed onto the saddle and pulled himself in it, then fixed his leg and opened the tail as the swooped up and began to climb higher.

"Do something!" Drago ordered the Bewilderbeast as it growled.

Hiccup glared as he bent over, holding the handles of Toothless's saddle. "We need to get those two apart…" he stated as the Bewilderbeast fired an ice beam at Hiccup and Toothless, but the two avoided it. Hiccup turned Toothless as he grabbed a piece of a broken flag while flying by it. The Bewilderbeast fired again, but Hiccup and Toothless evaded. "You gotta block him out Toothless…Do you trust me, bud?" Toothless warbled at him as Hiccup began to put the piece over Toothless's eyes and began tying it in place. "We can do this. You and me…As one," he put his hand on Toothless's head and opened the tail. "That's it…Now, let's try this one more time!" he called while turning Toothless and heading right for the Bewilderbeast.

Hiccup adjusted himself to be laying flat on his Night Fury's back. "Take him down, babe!" Astrid called as everyone began cheering when Hiccup flew over their heads towards the Bewilderbeast.

"Take control of it!" Drago ordered. Hiccup blocked Toothless's ears.

"Shut it out, Toothless," Hiccup said firmly.

"STOP THEM!" Drago demanded.

"NOW!" Hiccup called over Drago's voice as he pulled a lever on the left side. The Bewilderbeast shot it's ice out at them, but Toothless went right over the blast and Drago, then curved a bit upward.

"HAHAHA…HUH!?" Drago laughed, then abruptly stopped upon seeing Toothless flying upside down, but Hiccup was not in the saddle anymore. Quickly turning around Hiccup was coming at him with a pair of leather-made wings attached to his suit. Hiccup held something in his hand, leaving a trail of green gas behind him. Once Hiccup was far enough away, he clicked a button and lit the gas for a massive explosion next to the Bewilderbeast's head. Hiccup flew at Drago, curving himself a bit and kick Drago hard in the chest to knock him off the tusk and to the ground hard; the bullhook landed a few inches away, sticking up in the dirt. Drago panted a bit from the impact as Hiccup was flying towards the tail.

"Not again…" Hiccup paled. It was the mirror image of when he was going up Red Death's tail after a blast; only he didn't escape that one without losing his left leg. "TOOTHLESS! IT'S NOW OR NEVER!" he yelled as Toothless evened himself out and flew towards Hiccup after splitting his back spines apart. "Come on, bud!" Hiccup landed on Toothless's back as Hiccup sat himself up and held the handles. Toothless swerved through the spines of the Bewilderbeast, and the two made it up and cleared the tail. "YEAH! We did it!" Hiccup cheered as Toothless let himself fall and then whipped around and landed a foot or two away from Drago, who was starting to get up now.

Hiccup jumped off Toothless's back, pulling something from off his leg and pressing a button as a flaming sword came out, and he launched it at Drago to keep him from reaching his staff again. "Hold him there, Toothless…" Hiccup began putting the wings away. "It's over now…"

"Or is it?" Drago smirked.

"HICCUP! Watch out!" Astrid warned quickly. Hiccup turned to see the Bewilderbeast right there.

"Uh…" Hiccup paused, unsure of what to do. The Bewilderbeast opened it's mouth as Hiccup turned and covered himself. "Oh, no!" Toothless jumped over right before the ice covered them. Drago stood, laughing as Valka hurried in, scared.

"No!...No…" Valka tried to punch and break through the ice. "Hiccup…" she lowered her head in defeat. Suddenly, there was a blue glow emitting from the center of the ice as everyone's eyes widened. Valka quickly gasped and backed up as there was an explosion seconds later. There in the middle was Toothless, getting up and roaring at the Bewilderbeast angrily. However, something was very different. Toothless's throat, nostrils, and along his back was glowing a neon blue color. Under his wings was Hiccup, safe and sound, panting and looking at his Night Fury.

Toothless growled as the Bewilderbeast roared back at him, then Toothless turned his attention to Hiccup, warbling a bit. Hiccup smiled, showing his friend he was okay as Toothless snarled and launched himself forward on an ice spike, snarling at the Bewilderbeast now. Hiccup got up quickly as Hiccup's group rushed to get to him.

"He's challenging the Alpha!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"To protect you!" Valka informed. Toothless fired a blast at the Bewilderbeast's face. Three more followed that before Toothless did a backflip to the next level down when the spike he was on got broken by the Bewilderbeast. Toothless fired again as the Bewilderbeast roared. Above, the dragons were hovering and shaking their heads a bit. Toothless fired three more blasts before gliding down and over to Hiccup, standing in front of him before roaring out to the other dragons.

They obeyed. Every dragon that was above the Bewilderbeast flew over and stayed on Toothless's side. Drago grabbed his bullhook now. "No, no, no, no. NO!" Drago jumped on the Bewilderbeast's tusk. "Fight back! Fight back!" he demanded as he ran up the tusk and looked around. "What's the matter with you!?" then he looked down to see Toothless, and the dragon's obeying him. "He's not the Alpha, get back here!"

Hiccup got on Toothless's back as Toothless flew up to be higher and across from the Bewilderbeast. "Do you finally get it, Drago? The dragons have chosen to follow the one who will protect them,"

"So the Night Fury has the ability to not only withstand the Bewilderbeast but ignore it's control once broken and break other's free. It seems I have the wrong dragon to see my plans through. Hand him over, boy!"

Hiccup glared. "I will never give him up!"

"Then I will destroy everything you love!" Drago yelled at him.

"I won't give you a chance even to try! Toothless, do it!" Hiccup ordered. Toothless prepared another blast as the other dragons prepared blasts of their own and Drago's eyes widened. "This is my home, and I'll defend it until the day I die! This is your last chance, Drago…This is what it is to earn a dragon's loyalty. Let this end, now," Hiccup glared.

"NEVER! Come on!" Drago urged the Bewilderbeast to go forward.

"Fire!" Hiccup told his Night Fury. Toothless fired his blast as Drago blinked at the force. Seconds after, the other dragons were doing the same; hitting the Bewilderbeast in the face over and over again. Hiccup grinned, nodded approvingly. The Bewilderbeast roared out, rising above the blast range as Hiccup held up his hand to stop the other dragons. Toothless snarled angrily as Hiccup grabbed the handles while Toothless charged another blast, smoke emitting from his mouth before firing again and this time; it took the Bewilderbeast's tusk off. The dragon shook a little and backed up.

Toothless gave an ear deafening roar and screech before huffing at the Bewilderbeast angrily. It began to lower it's head, growling in submission almost.

"No…No, it's not possible…" Drago shook his head in disbelief.

"The Alpha protects them all," Hiccup glared. The Bewilderbeast tilted it's head to throw Drago off him; then it quickly retreated to get away from Toothless. Hiccup looked down as directed Toothless to the ground and they moved that way as the dragons landed around Toothless as Hiccup got off his back and Toothless sat back on his hind legs before giving a loud roar, the dragons copied it and bowed to him shortly after. Toothless smiled, warbling at Hiccup now as Hiccup stroked the side of his face.

"You never cease to amaze me , bud…Thank you," Hiccup closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Toothless's, who did the same back before quickly licking Hiccup until he was on his back. Hiccup laughed trying to block it. "Toothless, you know that doesn't wash out!" he complained while giggling still. The other dragons quickly spread out to find their riders and owners. Hiccup got up and watched as his friends got reunited with their dragons.

"Stormfly!" Hiccup saw Astrid snuggle her head against Stormfly. Hiccup smiled softly as he stood next to Toothless with an arm over his neck. Hoark had his team secure Drago.

"I'll kill you for this," Drago tried to get closer to him.

"We'll knock him out, just say the word," Hoark sighed.

"Oh, I got it covered…Babe, come here a sec," Hiccup called his girlfriend as she walked over and stood beside him. "I do believe I promised to hold Drago for you," he moved behind Drago and held his arms as

Astrid grinned as she curled her hand into a fist and brought it back. "This is for everything you've done to my boyfriend and me…" she ended up kicking him in the balls as he dropped a little. "And this is for killing my parents you son of a bitch!" she whirled her fist into his face, knocking him out cold. Hiccup backed up and let him fall.

"Not gonna lie; that was really hot, Milady," Hiccup informed as Astrid shrugged and Hiccup stroked her cheek a bit. "Are you okay?"

"I am now. I'm sorry got in the way, but you've spent months protecting me...I-I had to do something. I couldn't lose you, Hiccup..." Astrid looked down. Hiccup stared at her for a moment; then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"Come here you," Hiccup leaned in and kissed her deeply. Astrid melted into it right away as their friends and family around them just smiled softly.

"Get him out of here," Hoark demanded as some officers lifted Drago together and carried him away as Hiccup broke the kiss; he and Astrid smiling and staring at one another. Hoark approached Hiccup now.

"Hiccup, I was wrong about what I said a few nights ago. Perhaps sometimes it doesn't take the police or the bureau of investigation to stop devastating threats that come our way. Occasionally; it only takes one person who desperately wants to protect the people he cares for and his home. And his dragon," Hoark chuckled a bit as Toothless sat beside Hiccup and crooned for attention. "You can forget about Monday and coming into explain things; let's just chalk this up to a joint effort from anonymous allies," Hoark held his hand out. Hiccup smiled and placed his in Horak's.

"And my guys are good?" Hiccup asked, referring to Viggo and Ryker.

"You mean the anonymous messengers were providing information about Drago and his plans, and locating you? Well, we never tracked them down, so I guess wherever they are; we can say thanks and hope to count on them again if need be?" Hoark hinted.

"I'm sure they'll lend a hand," Hiccup agreed.

"Thank you, for all your help, Hiccup," Hoark shook his hand a few times.

"Anytime. And you know my number if my services should be required again. I'm always ready to serve," Hiccup reminded as Hoark nodded.

"You're a hero kid," Hoark patted his shoulder as Hiccup looked at him with surprised eyes. "I don't care what anyone says; you have the heart of a leader and the soul of a dragon, and you have proven twice now that you have what it takes to keep our two worlds, dragons, and humans, at peace with one another. The bond you and that dragon have is like nothing I've ever seen between a dragon and their rider. You two defeated Red Death together, and now, this. I'm happy to work with you any day and trust your opinions on anything. You're a hero, and don't ever believe or let anyone tell you otherwise," Hoark let go as he walked away with his people. Hiccup took a deep breath as he faced his family and friends.

"I'm so proud of you, son," Stoick pulled Hiccup in for a back-breaking bear hug that lifted Hiccup off the ground.

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup said once his feet touched the ground.

"And I'm every bit of proud as well," Valka kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"Well done, lad. I know it's not the military, but I'd be happy to have you on my force at the department," Spitelout informed.

"Hey, I'm only eighteen; I guess I got time to figure things out," Hiccup shrugged. "Right now, I think the only thing I wanna do is finish today…And graduate. What's say you Mr. Meatsen?"

"We're so far behind," one teacher stated to Mogadon. The man closed his eyes. Finally, he smiled.

"You know what, after today; I think every speech that had been planned out was demonstrated perfectly by you and your dragon, Mr. Haddock. You showed everyone here what it means to fight for what you want, and strengthening the bonds of the people, and dragons you have in your life. You showed us that it's okay to be afraid, take risks, but never give up when it's your future on the line. So, let's line up and finish this. We'll cut right to diplomas," Mogadon informed.

 **. . .**

 _ **{6:30 pm}**_

It took some clean up, readjusting, and getting back into place, but the graduation was back on. At first, everyone assumed the day had been crazy enough and reschedule. But the students didn't care; they figured spending a little extra time and just finished the ceremony today while it was there. The students, by rows, would rise when told and line up to cross the stage when called upon. Mogadon stood at the podium as there was a table beside him and staff handing him the diplomas.

"Heather Bazirk!" Mogadon called. "Camicazi Boggs," Hiccup tuned out for a lot of others, but he was paying attention when his friends were called on to cross, receive, shake a hand or two, then take their seats once on the other side. Also, they would turn their graduation tassels to the right upon getting back to place. "Ragna Falk." Then, "Minden Guarder!" following that was "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" Hiccup stood and crossed the stage, getting his diploma, shaking Mr. Meatsen's hand; then waiting on the stairs. "Astrid Hofferson!" Astrid did the same, and she was crying a bit. Hiccup saw her come his way and she looked up at the sky, forcing a smile.

Hiccup knew what it was about; she was searching for her parents, hoping they were watching and proud of her. Hiccup offered his hand as Astrid took it, and they shared a small kiss before continuing down the stairs. "Fishlegs Justin Ingerman!" a few more passed. "Snotlout Gary Jorgenson," many more passed up to the M's. "Thuggory Meatsen!" and then onward before it reached the T's. "Ruffnut Eugene Thorston," and then right after, "Tuffnut Lavern Thorston," a few more went through. "Eret Trapp!" and finally at the end in the W's; "Nadia Warrier!"

Things reached the end by 7:15 pm as all students were back to their seats. "Well, I'm sure you've all been waiting for this moment," Mogadon chuckled a bit. Hiccup and his friends were sitting together. They knew it was protocol, but who cared; they managed to all be sitting in the back. Hiccup and Astrid were holding hands and their diplomas in the other hands. "Parents, siblings, and guests; I give you the Archian Preparatory graduating class of 2022!" he yelled out.

Seconds later; there was an uproar of students cheering and throwing their caps in the air and the mass of guests in attendance cheering, hollering, and clapping. It was a great day to be alive. All of them had graduated High School and thanks to the efforts of Hiccup and Toothless, again; peace had been restored!


	79. Worth The Wait

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Worth The Wait

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Sunday, June 19, 2022-1 pm}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Saturday after graduation was spent with families, but today was their party. Hiccup was having everyone over Haddock Manor for their celebration of becoming High School graduates. Their days at Archian Preparatory were over, and now the rest of their lives had begun. Hiccup invited his friends, their parents, Viggo, Ryker, Verena, Katja, Kelda, Brenden, Maeva, Bard, and Birger over. Hiccup tried to include the Holgerson family in everything big; he knew it kept them busy and part of things. Plus; they were family since Hiccup and Olivia had been married before she passed away, just because Liv was gone now didn't mean Hiccup would annex her family from his and Runa's lives. Everyone together made coping easier. The party was beginning, and it was going to be something none of them ever forgot; everyone arrived, and introductions were over. Now, the fun could begin.

"Come on, Hiccup," Astrid giggled.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Start the party!" the friends yelled at him as he blinked while holding Runa.

"Dada, sing," Runa clapped her hands.

"Oh, alright…Jeeze…" Hiccup muttered as he handed Runa off to Astrid, who offered to take her from him. "Huh, thought I didn't finish that one…"

"What one?" Valka asked.

"It was something I started on before writing the song you heard at graduation. Couldn't think of what to add after a certain point, so I stopped; then got the inspiration from Astrid to write The Climb," Hiccup stated.

"Can we hear it?" Mogadon asked.

"I just said I never finished it. Music isn't done, and the lyrics stop by the second verse. The original message of the song was that after graduation, we all move on. But we hold onto our friendships, and know that no matter how long the time or distance apart; we'll stay friends, and see each other again one day," Hiccup explained.

"Good message," Dagur nodded.

"So, can't we hear up until what you have?" Astrid inquired.

"If you must," Hiccup sighed as he pressed the button and the music started with a piano tune. _"Oh, yeah. Here we are now; everything's about to change. We face tomorrow as we say goodbye to yesterday. A chapter's ending, but the story has only just begun. A page is turning for everyone!"_

" _So I'm moving on. Letting go. Holding onto tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you'll always know…You'll be with me…Wherever I go. Wherever I go…"_ Hiccup sang, then he closed his eyes; it looked like he was thinking about something.

"This is where it was supposed to stop, wasn't it?" Snotlout asked.

" _So excited; I can barely even catch my breath,"_ Hiccup continued as Astrid smiled softly.

"Wait, what's going on?" Eret inquired.

"Ssh; he's finishing it," Gobber told them.

" _We have each other to lean on for the road ahead. This happy ending is the start of all our dreams. And I know your heart is with me! So I'm moving on. Letting go. Holding onto tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you'll always know…You'll be with me…Wherever I go,"_ Hiccup opened his eyes.

" _It's time to show the worlds we've got something to say; a song to sing out loud. We'll never fade away. I know I'll miss you, but we'll meet again someday! We'll never fade away!"_ Hiccup sang out.

"I thought he never knew what to put," Ragna asked.

"Sometimes; it just comes to him, and he finishes it," Stoick chuckled a bit.

" _So I'm moving on. Letting go. Holding onto tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you'll always know…You'll be with me…Wherever I go. So I'm moving on. Letting go. Holding onto tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you'll always know…You'll be with me…Yeah, yeah. Wherever I go. Wherever I…Wherever I go,"_ Hiccup stopped now and shrugged a bit.

"Would have loved to see how that turned out with the music. It would have been a hit as the end of graduation song," Mogadon stated softly.

"Well, I guess now; we can start this," Hiccup smiled.

"Master Hiccup," Sigurd called, coming outside with a man in a military uniform behind him and two guards. "You have a visitor, sir," Sigurd bowed and then turned to return to his post.

"Hiccup Haddock; it is a pleasure to meet you face to face finally," the man smiled, offering his hand. Hiccup took his and shook it a few times.

"I would like to say the same, but I regret to inform that I do not know you," Hiccup stated. "And how do you know me? We've never met before, have we?"

"No, we have not, son," the man smiled broadly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Chairman of the Archia Isle Military; Askel Gundersen,"

"Well, in that case; it's an honor to meet you, sir," Hiccup enlightened respectfully. "What can I do for you?"

"It's not what you can do for me, but rather, what you have done for this island is why I am here," Askel said. "I've heard a lot about you, Hiccup Haddock. You selflessly battled a Red Death, endangering yours and your Night Fury's life to protect your home and all the people who reside here back in April. And today, as I learned; you risked your life a second time to defeat a man who wanted to take away our way of life, and freedom,"

"It was nothing, sir; I only did what needed to be done at the time," Hiccup remarked.

"But why, Hiccup? That is what I'd like the answer to. It's the military's job to control island threats, but you threw yourself into the fire, literally, as I understand it. Why?" Askel inquired.

"It may not have been my job, but it was still a job that needed to be done, and there was no time to waste. Toothless was the only dragon who could withstand the homing signal that Red Death emitted. And I'm the only person who can fly him at his full potential. And as for today; Drago Bludvist was the man behind Red Death, and the Bewilderbeast. He was after me, so what choice did I have? Had I run, people would have been in danger because of me. So I chose to fight, no matter what the outcome would have been; even if I died. I would have rather died fighting to protect my home and the people I love, than just give up because it seemed hopeless and impossible," Hiccup shrugged a little.

Toothless came beside Hiccup now and sat down beside him as Hiccup rubbed his head. "I did it because it needed to be done, and if I had to go back and do it all over again; I wouldn't change a thing. I would still be more than happy to risk my life or sacrifice it if it means the people I care about, and my home is safe," Hiccup informed.

The area was quiet as Askel finally smiled and nodded. "Well, Hiccup; you are an extraordinary young man. Brave, kind, selfless, caring, smart, courageous, fearless. You charged into battles that even trained members of my military would have likely suggested we evacuate out of fear. In the military; we have a medal that is the highest award a serviceman or woman can achieve. Perhaps you know of it?" Askel inquired.

"Of course. I did a bunch of research about the military because I wanted to join after High School. The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration given to military personnel for acts of valor. Awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty," Hiccup recited.

"Correct," Askel nodded. "Its awarded to military members who perform life-risking acts of heroism,"

"So what does it have to do with me?" Hiccup wondered.

"You're a hero, son," Askel reminded. "And someone here made a request that you be recognized with a medal as such, so you'd never forget,"

"I'm…Honored, Chairman Gundersen, but I'm a civilian; it's illegal to award me the Medal of Honor," Hiccup reminded.

"I know, which is why you won't be receiving it. However, you will still be recognized as a hero for your acts of valor in protecting Archia Isle not once, but twice. And I feel that it only fits that I call upon the individual who made the request and is the reason I'm before you today," Askel paused and smiled as he offered his hand to Astrid. Hiccup's eyes widened as Astrid looked off to the side a bit; then handed Runa to Heather as Askel led Astrid forward and standing in front of him while his hands were on her shoulders.

"A-Astrid?" Hiccup asked. "I-I don't understand…"

"This young lady went through many channels, requesting that something be done to recognize your selfless acts," Askel enlightened as he pulled a letter from his uniform. "This is the letter that reached my desk. Astrid, may I read your words?" Astrid nodded to him.

"April 29, 2022  
To whom it may concern,  
My name is Astrid Hofferson, and I'm writing this to whoever can make it happen. There's an unrecognized hero on our island, and everyone knows it except that person. Let me tell you a little about this amazing person. He's a young man, eighteen-years-old, with auburn hair and green eyes. He lives at Berkian Estates with his parents, Godfather, and beautiful ten-month-old daughter. This man is a father, son, nephew, godson, dragon trainer/rider, and exception friend. But to me; he's so much more. This man is kind, compassionate, caring, intelligent, funny, and sarcastic. We've been best friends for years, but somewhere along the lines; I messed up. I became rich and popular. I abandoned the friends I had. I didn't know what I had until I let it go, and then lost everything. My parents, my home, my car, etc. When I was at my lowest point, sleeping on the streets, and would have frozen to death in a January snowstorm; this man came to my rescue.

After everything I did to him, even forgetting the years of friendship we had; he helped me when I didn't deserve it. I was targeted by the person who had my parents killed, but this man put himself in danger to be my bodyguard and make sure I was safe. And in all this; I got my best friend back. When the island faced a grave threat of a Red Death; he showed no fear and took it on alone with his Night Fury, who was the only dragon immune to the homing signal that controlled all the others. The battle was terrifying, but he and his dragon defeated the beast, and it cost him his dream. You see, this man always wanted to join the Archia Isle Army and defend his home. He stayed in peak form, did his research, and even filled out all the paperwork; then pre-dated it for after High School graduation. He was ready, until the battle took place April 1st, 2022. This man lost his left leg, and his dream to be a soldier. He puts on a brave front, but I know how much it hurts him because he told me that all he ever wanted to do was protect his home as a hero like his Godfather did, and other members of the military.

What he doesn't see is that he already is what he wanted to become. And I want him to understand that what he did is exactly what he always wanted to do; he just did it as a civilian instead of a soldier, and maybe that's what makes it more heroic. Because he didn't have to do it; he chose to. I want him to that he's a hero in my eyes, and many other's too, so this is my request. This man deserves to be recognized for his selfless act to take on a mountain-sized dragon with his Night Fury, and protect his home with no regard for his own safety or the outcome of the battle. I think it's time he sees himself as everyone else does, as I do. He is my best friend, the man I love, and his name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Please help me find a way to show him what he is; a hero.

Thank you,  
~Astrid Hofferson."

Askel lowered the paper as Hiccup's eyes never left Astrid's figure while everyone else was just in shock of the words they heard Astrid write in this letter. Hiccup couldn't believe it. Astrid sent that message out, and it reached the Chairman of the Archia Isle Military?! Astrid did this for him?

"And now, I think it's time we fulfill the request," Askel stated as he snapped his fingers and the guards came forward with their arms out, but a cloth covering both sets. Askel turned and removed the fabric to reveal a square box, which he then opened, but blocked from sight. "Miss. Hofferson, would you like the honors?"

"Yes, please?" Astrid asked as she turned to take something from Askel, then she carefully faced Hiccup holding something in her hand.

"Astrid…What are you doing…" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, you risked your life and were willing to die if it meant your home and the people you care about remained safe from the threats that plagued Archia Isle over the last couple of months. You defeated the Red Death, destroyed the Dragon Eye, and stopped a madman from taking over the world. I know your biggest dream was to join the army and be a soldier…A hero like the others who serve and protect our home. After the Red Death, the dream was lost with your left leg. You keep saying that you'll never get to be what you always wanted to become, but you don't realize that you already are everything you wanted to be. You have more than earned the Medal of Honor for the things you've done for this island. I know we can't give it to you because it's for military people, but the best part about that is that you did these things as a civilian by choice, and there is a little something Chairman Gundersen, and I came up with to award your selfless acts of valor," Astrid began as she stepped towards him and pinned something to his shirt on the left side.

"This is the Archia Isle Medal of Heroism. It's the equivalent of the military's Medal of Honor; only this one is for citizens who go above and beyond while risking their lives for their home," Askel informed as Hiccup's eyes widened while Astrid placed something around his neck; it had a green, white, and brown strap. And dangling at the bottom was the Archia Isle crest in silver reading the words on a metal ribbon as; _Citizen Hero_.

Hiccup couldn't believe this; her truly couldn't as his eyes never left Astrid's figure when she stepped back a bit. "You're a hero, Hiccup. You didn't ever have to be a soldier to become one; you were just you, babe. You are a hero to everyone here, on the island…And to me. And now I hope you will believe it as well," Astrid smiled.

"Also, there is one more thing…" Askel stated. "That leg of yours; you built it yourself?"

"Y-Yes?" Hiccup replied, still shocked.

"And you do everything on it that you could before you lost your leg?" Askel asked.

"Yeah…" Hiccup nodded, trying to recover as Astrid moved beside him; holding Hiccup's hand.

"Would you still join the army if allowed?" Askel arched a brow.

"In a heartbeat, but we both know that it's not poss-," Hiccup started.

"Good; then I expect to see you at the Archian Military Processing Station on August 1st, 2022 at 0500 hours," Askel interrupted. Hiccup's mouth dropped open with eyes as wide as saucers.

"HUH?!" Hiccup asked, completely blown away by what he was told.

"You heard me, boy," Askel remarked. "August 1st, 2022. 0500 hours for military entrance processing," he said again.

"Wait-I thought-But…I-I can't…My leg," Hiccup stammered.

"Your leg was built by you and works as good as if you never lost the original. I assume you know how to maintain it regularly, so I don't see the problem in why you can't. You said it was your dream to join the army, and would if you could, did you not?" Askel inquired.

"Yes, but…" Hiccup began.

Askel held up a folder and Hiccup recognized it instantly; it was his with all his military signup forms in it. "This is your application to join, given to me by your girlfriend upon request after I got her letter that you were ready to join after High School. It has been reviewed, accepted, and approved. Your next step is processing; then swearing in. From there, you will get your Reception Week ship date, likely sometime in early to mid-September," Askel said.

"I-I can join?" Hiccup asked. Askel nodded. "I-I don't have the words…Thank you,"

"Report to the central city processing station August 1st at 0500, recruit," Askel stated firmly.

"Sir, yes sir!" Hiccup replied as he snapped to position and gave a salute.

"Yeah, you'll do fine, kid," Askel chuckled. "It's going to be an honor having you with us. At ease," Hiccup relaxed. Askel rounded up his two guards and exited the backyard as Hiccup slowly turned and looked right at Astrid.

"Surprise?" Astrid said with her shoulders raised a bit and hands out.

"You did all this for me?" Hiccup stared.

"Well…The recognition as a hero idea, yes; I did do that. But Askel was behind the whole letting you join thing. He got my letter two weeks after I sent it to Denmark since we're part of them. Somehow; it got to Chairman Gundersen, and he contacted me about everything. I…took your application at his request once we talked about how you couldn't join. I mentioned you building Toothless's tail, your leg…That you do everything as if you never lost yours in the Red Death battle, and he told me to mail it to him. So I did…And…Here we are. Now, you can join the army and be a soldier, just like you dreamed of doing," Astrid said softly.

Hiccup didn't say anything at first; he couldn't believe what Astrid had done for him, and he still had no idea how it was even happening, but why should he question the opportunity he was being given.

"Oh, what did you want to tell me yesterday? At graduation before it started?" Astrid asked. Hiccup knew what she meant right away; he was going to tell her that he loved her and then everything happened.

"I shouldn't have waited so long," Hiccup said. Before Astrid could question anything; Hiccup lightly cupped her cheeks and drew her face to his for a kiss. And it was like nothing anyone had ever seen them share before.

"Oh, my," Valka blinked.

Hiccup broke the kiss almost twenty seconds later as he stared into her eyes. "Wow…" Astrid breathed out slowly.

"I love you," Hiccup confessed as Astrid snapped out of her dream-like state quickly, staring in shock.

"Wh-What did you say?" Astrid asked.

"I love you," Hiccup repeated as Astrid's eyes widened a little. "I wasn't sleeping when you said it to me. I heard you Friday morning after we finished making love,"

"What? They did what!?" Valka started as Stoick put his hand over her mouth and shook his head at her to leave it alone. Valka nodded as Stoick moved his hand.

"Why…Didn't you say anything then?" Astrid inquired. Hiccup sighed, holding her hands in front of them now.

"Because I was scared. So afraid to feel this way again, and I told you why the first time we made love after Prom. When you told me you loved me Friday morning at 5 am; I froze and didn't know what to say. The fear of falling and losing everything took over; I started questioning myself, my feelings…But after I saw you nearly get killed trying to protect me from Toothless under the Bewilderbeast's control…It was like losing Olivia all over again, Astrid; I nearly lost it. I wanted Drago dead, and I wanted to be the one to do it; to kill him. But it was in that moment I realized you weren't gone, and I hadn't lost you. Everything became so clear, and the fear of falling vanished because I already had. I fell for you a long time ago, and even though some shit happened; my feelings never truly died," Hiccup expressed.

"Hiccup…" Astrid said in shock.

"We've been through everything, and we can handle anything. Astrid, you have me no matter what. Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean; I am with you. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always," Hiccup released one of her hands as he pulled something out of his pocket. "I promise," he said as he slipped something on her finger sneakily. Astrid quickly looked down to see a thin, silver band on her left-hand ring finger. It had half of a gold heart with a single diamond in the arch while it read; _His_ underneath the diamond.

"Oh, my Gods!" Astrid brought a hand to her mouth as she watched Hiccup slip on a larger, thicker band with half of a black heart that would match Astrid's as far as placement to make one heart if the rings were next to one another. And inside the arch of the heart were the words; _Hers_. "Hiccup…Is this…-,"

"One day, I'll present you with a ring on one knee and ask you to bind your life to mine in marriage. Until then, will you wear this as a symbol that I'm with you forever?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid let a few tears slip as she nodded. "Yes…Yes, I promise I will as long as you do the same with yours," Astrid replied.

"I promise," Hiccup vowed. Astrid brought his face in by wrapping her arms around his neck; they kissed deeply, then broke it.

"I love you, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid pressed her forehead to his.

"I love you, Astrid Hofferson…One day to be Haddock," Hiccup winked. Astrid kissed him again as everything started clapping and cheering. Astrid and Hiccup faced everyone else after a moment or two, revealing the pair of rings they wore at the demanding request of everyone else; they were promise rings, but the meaning was clear that sometime in the future, there would be a wedding between them as Hiccup was promising to ask Astrid to marry him, and she accepted the ring with a promise to say yes. Hiccup and Astrid loved this moment, and for both of them; it had been well worth the wait for them to confess to loving one another.


	80. Fulfilled

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Fulfilled

 _=Astrid's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 20, 2025-6 pm}**_

 _ **(Town Of Berk; Mead Hall)**_

Knocking on the door forced me to open my eyes as I only saw me standing in front of the mirror. In the reflection; I saw the clock on the wall read 6:00 pm. I only closed my eyes for ten minutes to remember how this all started, but it felt like I'd relived my entire Senior Year. Here I am three years later marrying the man who saved me in every way someone can be saved. I still couldn't believe it, and from that one day, so much more has happened. There was another knock as I turned my head towards the door.

"Come in," I said softly. I watched the handle turn, and my future father-in-law poked his head in.

"It's time, lass. Are you ready?" Stoick asked me with a smile as he came inside the room all the way. "You look beautiful," he added.

"Thank you, Stoick. And yes," I paused taking a deep breath. "I'm ready," Stoick nodded, offering his arm to me. I held the bouquet in my left hand while connecting my right arm to Stoick's left. This was it; I'm getting married to Hiccup. Stoick led me out of the room and into the waiting area where my bridesmaids, maid of honor, and flower girl were lined up and waiting. The groomsmen were present as well; they would be leading the bridesmaids out. In order, it would be Ruffnut with Eret. Camicazi and Thuggory. Snotlout and Minden. Nadia and Ragna. Tuffnut and Adelaide. Fishlegs and Heather, who was my Maid of Honor. Hiccup's Best Man is Gobber, so he was already standing with Hiccup. Valka and Maeva would walk Runa down the aisle as she scattered the rose petals along the way.

Finally, it would be Stoick walking me down. There were a lot of people present to witness this moment, and we didn't mind sharing it with them. Guests in attendance are Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Maeva, Bard, Birger, Spitelout, Frida, Alvin, Termagant, Viggo, Kelda, Katja, Brenden, Ryker, Verena, Dagur, and Mala. Also, our friends were allowed to invite their mothers and fathers. So it was a semi-big guest list, and that didn't include any of our friends who had kids of their own. As I said, a lot has happened in three years since school ended and we had that graduation party in Hiccup's backyard.

To start; Hiccup did join the army! After processing in August 2022, Hiccup shipped to Reception Week on September 2nd; a month after being sworn in. Following that, Hiccup went to nine weeks of Basic Training at Fort Archian. Valka, Stoick, Gobber, Runa, and I got to bear witness to Hiccup graduating Basic as a Private. I recorded the whole thing for our friends and other family who didn't get to see it in person. Hiccup got to spend the day with us; then he immediately shipped off for Advanced Individual Infantry Training, another four weeks. Hiccup did miss Thanksgiving, but he was able to call for about twenty minutes. Thankfully, Hiccup was able to come home for Christmas, and he stationed right on Archia Isle, so he could live at Haddock Manor while still reporting to the city every day for work.

In other updates; Dagur and Mala had a son, Olvir, in September 2023, immediately got engaged when she was three months along in March 2023; then married by September 2023 for their son's first birthday; the two are just a few days apart. Ruffnut and Eret got together over in October 2022, then engaged two years later over December 2024; the two plan to get hitched October 2025 in four months. Thuggory and Camicazi got engaged during New Years 2023 and married a year later in January 2024. The two of them have a daughter, Sigrid; she was conceived two months after the wedding in March 2024, then born a month early in November 2024. Thug and Cami have no plans for more kids until Sigrid reaches at least two-years-old. Also, we learned a little after graduation that Camicazi was pregnant once before in January, but had an abortion in March when she wasn't sure if it was Thuggory's or Eret because she had been unfaithful to Thuggory. Hiccup told me that he knew, and found out when he dug a bunch of dirt up on them for bullying me so much.

For a couple weeks after the confession, we weren't sure Thug and Cami were going to last because Thuggory was pretty upset she never told him until then, but the two got over it and obviously, ended up engaged by the New Year. Thankfully, after Thuggory and Eret fought for five minutes and were pulled apart by Snotlout and Dagur, Hiccup got between and broke it up. Camicazi said it only happened one time between her and Eret in January 2022 when Thuggory was away on a small vacation. Hiccup made them get over it, and makeup. And then Thuggory and Camicazi worked things out shortly after a few weeks passed since the reveal; I still feel like the only reason it worked out because Thuggory admitted to sleeping with Nadia once when Cami was sick and couldn't come to a party.

Snotlout and Minden started dating May 2023 when he turned nineteen; it was his birthday wish that she was his girlfriend, and she accepted. The two were still going strong, but no plans to settle down yet. Nadia and Ragna were a thing after both came out of the closet. Nadia is bisexual, and Ragna, a full-blown lesbian. The two came clean at the graduation party about what they were and started dating in August 2022, and they were still together with possible plans to get engaged soon. A shocking pairing is Tuffnut, and Adelaide; Snotlout's little sister. The two apparently started liking one another during Adelaide's Senior Year; Snotlout came home from work and found Tuffnut and her baby sister making out on her bed during June 2024, and then after a lot of promising from Tuffnut to Snotlout, the two began dating at her Senior Prom.

So, those two have been together a year now, and things appear to be going really well, but no sex as Adelaide is still seventeen until September 2025 and Snotlout promised to kill Tuffnut mercilessly if he found out they did anything before she was eighteen. Spitelout backed that statement up as Frida only sighed and took Adelaide to start birth control so that she'd be prepared when it did happen. The last couple is Heather and Fishlegs. Shockingly, they aren't married yet but engaged and had twins; one boy and one girl. I thought for sure Dagur was going to kill Fishlegs, but when the pregnancy announcement came out the New Year's party for 2023. Thankfully, Hiccup, Eret, Thuggory, Snotlout, and Tuffnut were able to hold him back while Hiccup talked some sense into him. Heather got pregnant in December when she and Fishlegs made love for the first time on their one-year anniversary of dating.

Heather learned sometime in February that she was carrying twins, and gave birth early in August 2023, right before Dagur and Mala had their son in September. Twins have kept Heather and Fishlegs busy, but Fishlegs did propose on Valentines Day 2024, and now they are planning to get married in December 2025 when Fishlegs turns nineteen since he is the baby of the group next to Adelaide. But yeah, that's everyone from then to now. I even came clean to anyone who didn't know about it before that I was pregnant once and miscarried in January 2022. I even admitted to Hiccup why I was a little upset holding Runa the day she fell asleep on me the week of graduation; it was because of the miscarriage and a lot of times I wondered what it would have been like if my baby survived. I broke down on Hiccup that night and held me the entire time until I fell asleep. The next morning he promised that sometimes it's part of the plan and maybe it wasn't my time to have a child, but it would be one day and everything will be in its place for such.

So, Runa just turned four-years-old on the 11th, a couple of weeks ago. And she's the happiest, most energetic, smartest little girl I know. I adore her and after today; I'll become her stepmother. I'm not nervous to be; Hiccup prepared Runa for the change by explaining that Olivia would always be her mother, but she's with Odin now and watching over her and him as a guardian angel to protect and guide them. Hiccup told Runa that he was marrying me and that I'd be a second mom for her to have around since she couldn't see Olivia. Runa was still young, but it seemed like she understood that she got to have two mommy's and loved it. Hiccup and I prepared all the adoption paperwork, but we weren't re-issuing the birth certificate with me in place of mother; there would be a separate document saying I'm the stepmom.

"Let's get in place, people!" Valka clapped her hands. I hadn't said a word; I remained beside Stoick while the rest moved into their positions. The wedding was finally starting, and I couldn't wait for those doors to open and I set my eyes on Hiccup. I haven't seen in since yesterday's rehearsal dinner; we split off upon returning to Haddock Manor. Hiccup went to the opposite side of the house in Gobber's mini apartment, and I stayed in Hiccup's room clear across the way. In the morning; Hiccup and Gobber bailed around 7 am. I stayed at Haddock Manor for hair, nails, and basic preparing until 5:00 pm when we transported to Mead Hall for the dress and final touches. And now, it was time. Everything has been in preparation for this moment when Hiccup and I say our vows and get married.

Oh, did I mention that I got everything from my parents' wills? It happened around Christmas 2022 that my gift from Hiccup was a signed paper from a judge saying that he was going to release everything to me after the first of the year. I don't know how Hiccup pulled it off when a bunch of lawyers couldn't figure out how to make it happen, but Hiccup did, and I cried like a baby once it was revealed. I doubt I'll ever know how he did it; he still hasn't told me. Everything I got financially was put away in the bank and I still barely use it. And more fun information; Runa will start calling me Mom, Mama, or Mommy after Hiccup and I are married, but she's let it slip a few times beforehand, but I didn't mind; those were hard times for me and her. It was when Hiccup was deployed overseas with his Battalion; this was about 1,000 soldiers and their dragons if they had them.

Hiccup got deployed for a year in May 2023. In fact; I got the unfortunate notification on my birthday when Hiccup got a phone call from his commanding officer for the platoon he's part of. It was probably one of the worst days of my entire life. Hiccup came home that night three hours later to tell us the rest of the information. Hiccup and I celebrated our one-year anniversary a few days before he left; we made love as expected. And the day before that; Hiccup held a party for Runa's 2nd birthday since he wouldn't be home for it in June. Hiccup was gone for twelve months, but by some grace of Odin; he got a two week leave right around Christmas time. It was hard to have a relationship with such long distance, barely being able to talk, and the constant worrying if Hiccup was alright. Hiccup got hurt a few times during his tour, and one of the worst ones is when he got shot in the side right before coming home in May 2024; he somehow made it home for our two-year anniversary and boy was it a surprise.

Not just because he came home and didn't tell anyone until he walked through the door, but also that Hiccup proposed to me. I smiled now, recalling the event so vividly. Everyone was sitting in the Great Room; Hiccup usually always called to say hi to everyone on Sundays; it just so happened that this particular Sunday was May 12th, Hiccup's and mine's two-year anniversary of dating. None of us had talked to Hiccup in almost two weeks, so we were deeply concerned that something happened to him. However, the call came in, and we figured he was still in Iraq, but the little sneak was actually back in Berk at the house. Hiccup hid Toothless in the woods like old times while he scurried around to take care of things before the big moment. So Hiccup called, and right away, we noticed how good the reception was; that was a first.

 _ **/Flashback; May 12, 2024/**_

" _That's him!" Valka said quickly as Stoick pressed the speaker button and the call connected._

" _Hi, son! We're all here," Stoick greeted first._

" _Hey, everyone," Hiccup replied. "How's it going?"_

" _We're good. Missing the hell outta you, man. Any word when you're coming home?" Snotlout asked._

" _Not yet, should be soon, though. How's Roo? Ast? You there, babe?" Hiccup inquired._

" _I'm here! Roo is on my lap. Miss you, baby!" I said quickly. "Your reception is great right now, where are you?"_

" _I found a good spot while flying with Toothless," Hiccup informed._

" _Where have you been for two weeks!" Valka demanded._

" _Sorry about that, Mom. Was kind of in the MC for a week," Hiccup stated._

" _MC?" Valka asked._

" _Medical Center, Val," Gobber explained._

" _WHAT HAPPENED!?" Valka screeched._

" _Will you relax! I'm fine, nothing a couple more weeks won't fix. If you must know…I got shot in the right side. Nothing serious, no vital organs hit; it was a deep graze that needed stitches. But I'm alright, so calm down…Anyway; I don't have long to talk. I'm glad everyone is good there…I called for a reason," Hiccup remarked._

" _And that is?" Eret blinked._

" _Well it's mine and Astrid's two-year anniversary; I fear her tracking me down and killing me if I didn't call today," Hiccup chuckled. "Happy anniversary, Milady,"_

 _I blushed. "You too, baby. You owe me an outing, though!" I reminded._

" _As soon as I'm back I will give you an anniversary you will never forget. Solider's Honor," Hiccup vowed. "In the meantime; I did send a gift your way. The tracking says it arrived and was left out front," he added._

" _Alright, I'm going to see it now," I handed Valka Runa as I got the phone and headed for the front while the rest got up to follow and check on what I got. I opened the front door as I laid eye on Hiccup standing there, holding his phone to his ear with a smile on his face._

 _OH, MY GODS!" I dropped the phone to the ground and covered my mouth with tears already streaming down my face._

" _Surprise," Hiccup lowered the phone and slid it away._

" _HICCUP!" I charged at him, jumping into his arms and wrapping my arms around his midsection. "You're back! You're home!" I cried. Hiccup laughed a little as he hugged me back, then he kissed me deeply._

" _DADDY!" Runa called as she squirmed from Valka's arms to get down and run as fast as her legs would carry her towards Hiccup. "DADDY HOME!" He lifted her up as I stood beside him, wiping my eyes._

" _I'm home, baby girl," Hiccup hugged her tightly._

" _Oh, son! Welcome home," Stoick wrapped Hiccup in a bear hug, then Valka and Gobber did the same. Everyone greeted Hiccup as we all moved inside the house shortly after and reached the Great Room. I instantly hugged him again._

" _Best gift ever," I sighed out._

" _Oh, me coming home wasn't your gift," Hiccup informed as I blinked at him. Hiccup moved away from me as he got down on one knee as everyone's eyes widened. "This is. June 19_ _th_ _, 2022; I gave you this ring," he held my hand and ran his finger over the promise ring I still wore. "I asked you to wear it as my symbol that I'm with you forever. And told you that one day I would present you with a ring on one knee and ask you to bind your life to mine in marriage," Hiccup removed the promise ring as he pulled out a blue, heart-shaped velvet box and opened it revealing a silver ring with a blue heart diamond at the top and two smaller circle ones on either side of it. "Today is that day, Astrid,"_

 _I felt my heart racing in my chest._

" _I'm not going to give you a long speech about how much I love you; we both know speeches are not a Hiccup thing as you may have noticed from graduation two years ago when I said screw it and just went with whatever came to mind. The bottom line is this; I love you. I loved you back then, I love you now, and I will love for all of our tomorrows. You've been my best friend for years, my girlfriend for two of them, and now I'm asking you to be my fiance for like a year; then we can get married, and you'll be my wife for the rest of our years. So Astrid Hofferson…Will you marry me?" Hiccup asked._

 _I smiled, still crying as I nodded. "Yes…Yes, I will!" the room erupted into applause as Hiccup stood up and placed the ring on my finger before I threw myself at him and planted a kiss on his lips. Hiccup wrapped his arms around my waist and deepened it._

 _ **/End Flashback/**_

And from there to now, thirteen months later; it's our wedding day. Everything was going according to plan. The doors opening a bit for each couple to walk through; then it was Runa as Stoick, and I stepped up to the door.

"Your parents would be very proud of how much you've grown and the woman you've become, Astrid. Valka and I know that we could not have asked for a better woman to call our daughter-in-law. We're glad you two made it back to one another. Thank you for making our son, and granddaughter so happy." Stoick said.

"Thank you for raising the wonderful man that I fell in love with," I replied.

 _=Normal POV=_

The doors opened as Stoick, and Astrid walked out slowly as her eyes locked onto Hiccup's figure down the way; he was wearing his military dress uniform. It was at Astrid's request that he did because he looked ridiculously hot in it. Of course; we still couldn't do much with that wild hair of his. The military cut he had was shorter sides and a longer top, but the top still looked crazy. Moments later, Astrid stood before Hiccup as he offered his hand to her. Stoick put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder; then he took his seat beside Valka.

Welcome, friends and family of Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson…" the officiant began. Everything after that faded out for Hiccup and Astrid until it got to the vows bit where the man handed Astrid a thick wedding band. "Astrid?"

"I, Astrid Hofferson, take you, Hiccup Haddock, as my lawful husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part. As this ring as no end, neither with my love for you," Astrid stated lovingly as she slid the ring on Hiccup's finger.

"Now, you, lad," the officiant handed this Astrid's band.

"I, Hiccup Haddock, take you, Astrid Hofferson, as my lawful wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part. As this ring as no end, neither with my love for you," Hiccup set the ring in place as they held hands.

"With the vows spoken and rings place in front of myself and all these witnesses; it is my pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," the man stepped back.

"Finally," Hiccup said as Astrid couldn't help but giggle a bit; then Hiccup pulled her against him, cupping her cheek and pressing his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss. The room erupted into applause and cheering.

"Ladies and gentleman, may I present Hiccup and Astrid Haddock!" the preacher called out as the room got louder and Hiccup just kissed Astrid again. Today marked the fulfillment of their promises to one another at the graduation party. Hiccup promised to ask for her hand in marriage, and Astrid promised to say yes. And now, they were husband and wife.


	81. An Early Start

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

An Early Start

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 20, 2025-6:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Town Of Berk; Mead Hall)**_

After the announcement by the officiant of them being Mr. and Mrs. Haddock; Hiccup and Astrid broke their kiss and stood beside one another as everyone was clapping and shouting congratulations towards the newlyweds.

"And now the bride and groom will share their first dance," the DJ called as the lights dimmed a bit while Hiccup led Astrid by the hand to the middle of the floor. The music started as Dirty Dancing's; _I've Had The Time Of My Life_.

"Wait, Hiccup…" Astrid stepped.

"What's up?" Hiccup wondered.

"It doesn't seem right to dance to this," Astrid admitted as Hiccup arched a brow at her.

"It's the one we picked," Hiccup reminded.

"I know, but…It's not our song. Not the one we've always danced to on special occasions," Astrid held his hand. Hiccup understood now.

"I think I know what one you're talking about," Hiccup smiled as he kissed her lips quickly before leaving her on the dance floor while he moved over to the DJ stand. "Change in plans, my friend. Wife wants our song. Play Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical three," he told him.

"You got it," the DJ replied with a thumbs up as he cut the music to the first song and switched it while Hiccup moved back to Astrid and she smiled, holding her hand out to him. Hiccup took it as they began dancing when the music began. Just like it had always been with this particular song; Hiccup and Astrid matched every move. At the end of four or so minutes as Hiccup and Astrid finished moving in a circle; then they stopped, faced one another, and shared another kiss. There was more clapping and cheering as they broke apart and Runa scurried to get to them.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Runa called as Hiccup bent down and picked her up once she was within reach.

"There's my girl," Hiccup hugged her tightly; then nuzzled their noses together.

"Is Astrid my mommy now?" Runa inquired.

"Yes, baby girl," Hiccup nodded as Runa smiled. "Would you like to go see her?" Runa nodded as Hiccup handed her over to Astrid.

"Hi, Mommy," Runa hugged Astrid around the neck as Astrid returned it.

"Hi, Sweetheart," Astrid greeted with a light squeeze back. "Did you enjoy the wedding?"

"It's not over yet. Daddy says I still get to dance with him, and we eat, have cake, and stuff. Then you and Daddy are leaving for two weeks, and I stay with Papa and Nana for one week. And Poppy and Nonny for the next one," Runa reminded. Papa and Nana were Maeva and Bard to Runa. And then Poppy and Nonny were Stoick and Valka. Birger was Unka Bir, Runa's way of saying Uncle Birger. Unka Gob was for Gobber. Uncle Snot was Snotlout. Unka Fish for Fishlegs. Anty Adel was Adelaide. Runa had names for a lot of others too, but all that mattered was she knew who was who.

"That's right," Astrid nodded. "What's next, babe? Pictures?" she looked at Hiccup now.

"I think we should do them after dinner as it's going on 6:30 pm," Hiccup suggested. "That way it can happen while everyone is digesting," he chuckled.

"Sounds good," Astrid smiled.

"Daddy, am I allowed to call Astrid my mommy now?" Runa asked while tugging at his pants leg after the last picture had been taken.

"Yes, baby girl, you can," Hiccup replied. "Now, I think it's time we enjoyed dinner. Roo, would you like to sit with mommy and me at the head table?"

"Yes, pwease," Runa replied. "Mommy, can you carry me?" she asked. Astrid bent down and lifted Runa into her arms; then positioned the four-year-old on her right side, but winced a bit as Runa's leg went across her breast. Hiccup caught it but didn't say anything. Hiccup led his wife to the table as Astrid set Runa down in her chair, then took her seat as Hiccup sat next to her. As dinner was making its way around by the servers; Gobber came up to give the Best Man speech. Five minutes later, it was Heather's turn. By 7:05 pm; everyone had their food and Heather was just finishing up.

"So Hiccup, Astrid…I won't wish you well on your new journey because you two started your lives together years ago. I'll just say that I love you both, and wish you many more happy years together," Heather raised her glass. "To Hiccup and Astrid," she said as everyone else raised theirs. Everyone took a drink, but Astrid just held hers until the rest put them down and she followed suit. That was something else Hiccup noticed. Why did she wince when she held Runa? And why wasn't she drinking?

"Well, let's eat," Astrid smiled as she picked up her fork, beginning to ear the spaghetti and meatball dinner with garlic breadsticks. People were able to choose between pasta or chicken with mashed potatoes and their choice of a side; broccoli, peas, green beans, or corn.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hiccup asked softly.

"Of course," Astrid replied. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm married to you," she informed.

"No reason, just checking on you," Hiccup smiled as he leaned over and kissed her; then they both started to eat the meal.

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:40 pm}**_

Following dinner, everyone began to talk or dance a bit, but they stayed out of the photographer's way. The photographer only took shots that Hiccup, and Astrid asked for. First, it was a few of Hiccup and Astrid; then them with Runa. After that, it was with Maid of Honor; Heather, and Best Man; Gobber. Once that was done, the whole wedding party got a good shot in together. Girls on Astrid's side, except for Ragna, who wore a tux because she hated dresses. Ragna stood on the side with the males. The next pictures taken were with Stoick and Valka. Maeva, Bard, and Birger got on for one of them. And then Hiccup had done something for Astrid that actually made her tear up a little; he got life-size, stand up, cardboard pictures of Colden and Alva Hofferson so Astrid could have their picture taken with her parents.

"You alright?" Hiccup hugged her once the woman taking photos had left, promising they would be ready by the time Hiccup and Astrid returned from their honeymoon.

"Yeah, Yeah; I'm okay. Thank you for the large cutout picture of my parents…" Astrid wiped her eyes with a finger to avoid smudging her makeup.

"Well, I knew how much it meant to you for them to be here. I know I can't bring back the dead, but I thought that might stand in well for the picture at least," Hiccup shrugged.

"It means the world that you did that for me, Hiccup," Astrid hugged him; then they kissed. "I think everyone is still full from dinner," she giggled a bit.

"Well, we can push cake back a bit. I think a good filler idea would be for the special dances," Hiccup offered. "I'm dancing with my mom and Runa,"

"You go on, babe. I'll sit at the table and watch," Astrid informed as she kissed his cheek and moved to the table. Hiccup noticed that Astrid seemed a little tired; he could see it in her eyes. Hiccup moved to the DJ booth.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Haddock?" the man inquired.

"Mother and son song, followed by father an daughter," Hiccup smiled.

"Aye, sir," the DJ gave a half salute. "Wait, which father/daughter?"

"Mine and Runa's. I've got something planned for Astrid," Hiccup informed. The man gave a thumbs up as Hiccup moved away and towards his mother, who sat at a table with Maeva, Stoick, Bard, and Gobber.

"Hi, son," Stoick smiled.

"Hey, Dad," Hiccup replied as he held his hand out to his mother; Valka blinked. "Come on," he invited. Valka put her hand in Hiccup's as he led her to the dance floor.

"Ladies and gentleman; the groom will now have a dance with his mother," the DJ stated as everyone cleared the floor and took their seats. Runa sat in Astrid's lap while Hiccup danced with Valka; the song playing was the one from her birthday in 2022-Perfect Son, the one Hiccup wrote for her. By the end, Valka was in tears, but Hiccup let her hug the crap out of him.

"I love you, Mom," Hiccup said.

"I love you too," Valka replied as Hiccup guided her back to her seat while everyone clapped and Stoick provided a tissue for her.

"And now the groom would like to share a dance with his little girl," the DJ smiled as Hiccup moved next to Astrid and knelt down.

"Can Daddy have this dance?" Hiccup asked her. Runa launched herself into his arms as the guests went _awe_ at the cuteness. Hiccup lifted Runa up as she held onto him while Hiccup walked the dance floor as the music began. The song chosen was; _You'll Be In My Heart_ from the movie Tarzan; as of late, it was one of Runa's favorites. When the song was over, Runa gripped Hiccup's cheeks and gave her father a kiss; then Hiccup hugged her tightly.

"I wove you, Daddy," Runa laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," Hiccup responded before setting her down, and she rushed off to tell Astrid about it.

"Mommy! Mommy, did you see me and Daddy dancing?!" Runa exclaimed.

"I did see; you looked beautiful," Astrid smiled broadly. Hiccup looked back at the DJ as he nodded to him; then his shot a nod to his Godfather, who got up. A song began playing as Astrid's head snapped up and she looked at Hiccup who was coming over. "W-What are you doing?" she asked.

"This is a song you were listening to when we picked special dances," Hiccup informed.

"W-Well, yes, but that's only because it was mine and my dad's song, Hiccup…I-I can't have my father/daughter dance," Astrid tried to smile a bit.

"Sure you can," Hiccup stated. Before Astrid could respond, Gobber was beside her offering his hand.

"I know I'm not your father, but I'm Hiccup's Godfather. Guess that makes me yer Godfather-in-law," Gobber said. "Would you like to dance with me as a close second?" Astrid didn't know what to say as she got up slowly and put her hand in Gobber's while he led her out to the dance floor. The song was Butterfly Kisses, and Astrid struggled not to cry while dancing with Gobber. A bit through the song, Spitelout tapped her shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" Spitelout asked as Gobber bowed out and Spitelout took over. Not long after that, Alvin took over dancing with Astrid, and finally at the end, Stoick. Astrid was in tears the whole time but kept the dance going until the song ended. Stoick lifted her chin up and kissed her forehead.

"We know you can't have a dance with your dad, but we've all been in your life since you were a baby, Astrid. We were your father's best friends. Alvin, Gobber, and Spitelout were like uncles, and I became your father-in-law today. Hiccup asked if we wouldn't mind standing in so you didn't have to feel left out of special dances," Stoick explained.

Astrid looked back at her husband, shocked that he organized this whole thing. Hiccup walked over with Runa in his arms as Stoick stepped back. "You did all this for me?"

"Of course," Hiccup shrugged. "I love you; I'd do anything to make you happy," he added. Astrid leaned up and kissed him. Runa kept nudging at him.

"What's the matter with her?" Astrid inquired. Hiccup leaned towards her ear.

"She wants to dance with you; a mother and daughter one, but too shy to ask," Hiccup whispered.

"Gimme a second," Astrid moved towards the DJ booth. A moment later, Astrid moved back over to Hiccup and tickled Runa's sides a bit as the child squirmed before looking back at Astrid.

"Runa, would you like to dance with mommy?" Astrid questioned. Runa's eyes lit up as she threw herself into Astrid's arms and nodded her head. "Alright, come on," Hiccup backed up and sat down as Astrid carried Runa to the dance floor.

"The bride will share a dance with her new daughter. Ready, Mrs. Haddock?" the DJ asked. Astrid nodded to him as he pressed a button.

"Mommy, will you always be here for me like Daddy?" Runa asked.

"I'm glad you asked because I have a song that will answer that for you," Astrid replied. The music started as Astrid began to move a bit while holding Runa; then she began singing.

"I wove you, Mommy," Runa hugged Astrid tightly; Astrid laughed a little and hugged her back.

"I love you too, Roo," Astrid kissed her cheek. Everyone clapped as Astrid carried Runa back towards where Hiccup was.

"Daddy, did you see?! Mommy sang to me!" Runa said excitedly.

"I saw, and it was beautiful; just like my girls," Hiccup hugged them both. Runa ran off to play as Hiccup, and Astrid sat down. Hiccup went to take a drink from his glass but noticed that Astrid's hadn't been touched at all. A faster song began as the friends urged Astrid and Hiccup to take part. Hiccup got up, but Astrid stayed where she was. "All danced out?" he asked.

"Just need a small break to catch my breath, Hic," Astrid told him.

"You look exhausted," Hiccup mentioned.

"Didn't sleep well; I was too excited," Astrid replied. Hiccup eyed her a bit when Astrid closed her eyes, then got up.

"Where ya going?" Hiccup wondered.

"Bathroom, babe," Astrid smiled as she headed for the ladies room. Hiccup watched her go; then he was slapped on the back by Dagur

"Hell of a reception, Hiccup," Dagur smiled as the other friends came over.

"What's wrong? You don't look happy?" Camicazi inquired.

"I'm the happiest I've ever been; I'm just worried about Astrid," Hiccup confessed.

"Why?" Heather questioned.

"Something doesn't feel right with her," Hiccup stated.

"Where is she now?" Snotlout asked.

"In the bathroom, which it seems like she's using pretty frequently," Hiccup informed. Before anyone could say anything, Verena hurried out of the bathroom and to Hiccup's side.

"Hiccup!" Verena panted.

"What is it?" Hiccup turned to face her.

"I think Astrid is sick…" Verena frowned. Hiccup's eyes widened.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"I was just coming out when she rushed in and threw up; it happened three times. Astrid said she was fine, but it doesn't look like she is, so I came to get you," Verena explained. Hiccup moved away from the group and to the girl's bathroom, once checking it was clear; he slipped inside and found Astrid sitting on the floor of the larger stall, throwing up.

"Ast?" Hiccup said as Astrid coughed a few times and lifted her head to look at Hiccup. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm okay. Just ate something that didn't agree with me," Astrid tried to smile.

"I'm not convinced, Milady. Verena said she heard you vomit three times, and I just watched it happen two more times…You don't look good," Hiccup crouched in front of her as Astrid flushed the toilet and got up with Hiccup's help; she washed her hands and rinsed her mouth a bit as she leaned against the wall near the sink. "Astrid, I'm serious…Tell me what's going on. You've been acting weird all night, and I'm worried about you. I mean, do we need to go to the hospital or something?"

"No, Hiccup…I'm alright," Astrid sighed some.

"Astrid, no you're not. I know you, better than you know yourself sometimes…You looked like you were in pain while holding Runa earlier, only ate half your dinner, you're tired, you've used the bathroom about thirteen times in the last few hours. Honestly; it sounds like your getting your period…" Hiccup stopped as something clicked while he was running over her symptoms in his head. "Which I know can't be the case because we made sure you wouldn't have it for the wedding, or our honeymoon. And your period doesn't make you throw up, plus you refuse to touch your champa-Astrid…" he trailed off now as she looked at him. "Are…Are you…Pregnant?" he asked.

"So much for me telling you later tonight," Astrid smiled a little. "Surprise, babe,"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Oh, my gods! You're pregnant? Really?!" he exclaimed as Astrid nodded. "Are you really?!" he asked again. Astrid nodded to him. "You are! Gods, you really are!" Hiccup instantly wrapped his arms around Astrid's figure and span her around.

"Yes, I am…A-Are you happy about it?" Astrid asked.

"Are you kidding me?! I'm ecstatic! Oh, my Gods, Astrid!" Hiccup kissed her deeply. "This is great! When did you find out?" he asked.

Astrid blushed a little. "About a week ago with a home test…I realized my period was late at Runa's birthday party last Saturday because I'd been due for it on the 12th. I didn't say anything in case I was wrong, or maybe it showed up a bit late. But then I started feeling sick when the party was over, so on the 16th when you had to go to work; I went to the store and picked up a test, one of the digital read-out ones. And three minutes after taking it; it showed positive. I-I wanted to keep it a surprise until tonight and tell you then," she explained.

Hiccup kissed her again as she returned it. "You have no idea how happy I am! S-So you're like, what? Five weeks right now?" Astrid nodded to him. Quickly counting on his fingers, he smiled. "That means you're due in February…Oh, my Gods; this is amazing! It's perfect, and I love it. And I love you. Gods, I love you so much!" Hiccup hugged her again. "Come on, we gotta tell everyone!" he held her hand.

"Y-You sure you want to tell them so early?" Astrid asked nervously, which made Hiccup stop.

"Why not? What's wrong?" Hiccup inquired.

"Hiccup…You know I had the miscarriage back in 2022 at seven weeks…I-I just…Don't want to get everyone all excited until I know everything is going to be okay…" Astrid said sadly. Hiccup cupped her cheeks.

"Astrid, listen to me…Everything will be fine. Your miscarriage, though unfortunate, probably happened because of everything going on in your life at the time. You lost your parents, your home, your car; you were thrown into the streets, and you got attacked that January and had the miscarriage just a few days later. What happened was not your fault, and you remember that I told you the next time you got pregnant; it would be because it was the right time for it to happen. We're together, married, settled…There is no better time to have a baby. You've got me, and I will be with you every step of the way. I swear it. Everything will be okay; you just have to trust me…"

Astrid cried a bit; those were Hiccup's famous words and Astrid couldn't doubt them after all she'd seen through the years. If Hiccup said it would be okay; it would. Hiccup hugged her as she returned it. "Okay, let's go tell them. But…I think we should tell Runa first," Astrid replied.

"Well, let's go tell our daughter she's about to be a big sister; then everyone else," Hiccup nodded as she took his hand, then the two headed out of the bathroom together. Immediately, they saw everyone looking at them and wondering if Astrid was alright.

"Daddy!" Runa forced herself through and into Hiccup's arms. "Is Mommy okay?! Evyone says she's sick…Is she gonna leave like my other mommy had to?" the four-year-old cried against him. Hiccup knew what she meant because he'd told her that her mother, Olivia, got sick and had to go with Odin.

"Oh, Hiccup…Let me see her," Astrid asked. Hiccup handed Runa to Astrid, and she had a soft smile on her face. "Hey…Hey now…Dry your eyes. It's a wedding; you're supposed to be happy…" Astrid soothed as she grabbed a napkin and wiped Runa's eyes.

"B-But you is sick…Like my other Mommy was," Runa held onto Astrid tightly. "I don't want you to go…"

"Hey…Look at me," Astrid said as Runa looked at Astrid now; tears in her hazel eyes. "I know I'm a little sick, but it's okay. I'm not going anywhere,"

"You pomise?" Runa asked.

"I promise," Astrid nodded. Runa wiped her eyes again as Hiccup put his arm around Astrid's back and kept both of them close.

"Why are you sick, Mommy?" Runa inquired now. Hiccup chuckled a bit as he leaned towards Runa's ear and put his hand up.

"Mommy is having a baby; it's growing in her belly," Hiccup whispered. Runa looked at him, then Astrid. Runa wriggled from Astrid's arms and climbed on a chair, looking at Astrid's stomach. Finally, she pointed.

"Mommy has a baby growing in here?" Runa asked. At that moment, everyone realized what was going on.

"Oh, my Gods!" the girls gasped. "You're pregnant?!"

"She is," Hiccup hugged Astrid from behind, his hands resting on her stomach. "Five weeks along," he added.

"When did you find out!?" Heather demanded.

"Well, I just found out in the bathroom. But my wife over here has known since last Sunday after missing her period…I only figured it out because I realized she's tired, emotional, threw up out of the blue, and refused to touch alcohol; her champagne glass hasn't been touched all night. It just clicked for me," Hiccup informed.

"Oh, congratulations!" Valka clapped her hands together, hugging Hiccup and Astrid.

"Why does Mommy have a baby in her belly, Daddy?" Runa asked.

"It means you're going to have a little brother or sister in February, which is a little past Christmas and the New year. The same month Daddy's birthday is in," Astrid explained.

"I'm gonna be a big sister?" Runa tilted her head.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she jumped into Hiccup's arms. "Yay! I get my kissmass gift then!"

"Huh?" Hiccup and Astrid blinked.

"That's what I was gonna ask for; to be a big sister," Runa told them. Hiccup and Astrid laughed a little, nodding; then everyone laughed. Sure, it was a bit unexpected, but it looked like Hiccup and Astrid were getting an early start on adding to their family.


	82. Just Us

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Just Us

 _=Hiccup's POV=_

 _ **{Friday, June 20, 2025-10 pm}**_

 _ **(Town Of Berk; Mead Hall)**_

I knew today was going to be something I never forgot; it was my wedding day, and I married my longtime best friend, Astrid. The last minutes to when I saw her walk out that door with my father at her side; I remembered everything we've been through. Astrid and I have known each other since we were born, according to my parents at least, but being able to remember that; we were probably around two or three-years-old. Astrid and I became the best of friends, and we held onto that until she got popular and abandoned me, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Minden, Adelaide, and Dagur. Astrid knew Fishlegs, Adelaide, and Snotlout around the time she and I met too, but the time we really all became friends was in Kindergarten, when Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and I met Heather, Ruff, Tuff, and Minden. Dagur is a few years older than us, but we still met him; I think it was Heather's 6th or 7th birthday party. Regardless, we all just clicked, but Astrid and I were closer than anyone else in our group.

I had feelings for Astrid in Middle School, but that's when her Dad won Mayorship of Archia Isle, and overtime; we drifted apart because she met Ragna, Nadia, Camicazi, Gruffnut, Thuggory, and Eret. By Freshman Year of High School; Eret and Astrid got together, and not only did I lose my chance to be with Astrid, but I lost my best friend too. It hurt me; I remember going home and just wanting to be left alone. I told myself that even if I never got to tell her how I felt; I'd stick around and make sure she was okay. I knew her new friends weren't really her friends and one day; they would hurt her and I would be there to pick her up. I tried to get her to remember who I was to her in October 2022, when she rediscovered that I lived at Berkian Estates. I reminded her that I knew who my real friends were, and asked all six standing in my basement if they knew who theirs were. By this time, though; I had met Olivia, became Runa's father, and fallen in love with Liv because my feelings for Astrid were buried or hiding.

I still think to this day that I never stopped loving Astrid, but the hurt of her abandoning me forced my feelings for her to stay back. When Olivia passed away; I was hurt through that too. Because I spent so much time reminding myself that she was going to die after Runa was born. I told myself not to fell, but the first time we ever made love; it happened. And then Olivia passed two months later; it hit me hard. Two women, I've loved and ended up losing. I focused on raising Runa; she was all I had left of Olivia. But then, the time came when Astrid needed a real friend, and I stepped up. Obviously, Astrid realized the truth during a time of crisis; when she lost her parents in a fire. I came to her rescue in any way I could. And over time…Astrid and I got back our friendship as if nothing had changed. The more time passed when the Drago situation was going on, the more of my feelings started resurfacing.

To be honest; the day Astrid pushed me out of the way from Toothless's blast, I knew that I never stopped loving Astrid and one day, we would end up getting married. And that became more the case during the graduation party when I received the Citizen Medal Of Heroism; a process that Astrid set in motion after I lost my leg with Red Death. And somehow, even with a fake leg; I was able to join the army. I knew Astrid, and I were going to stay together, and I would marry her one day; that's why I gave her the promise ring and wore one myself too. And here we are; our wedding day where I just learned that my wife is pregnant. That's why this day is so unforgettable for me. Astrid and I talked about having more kids, but were going to wait a bit to enjoy married life; it seems that the Gods have other plans because Astrid is pregnant, and I'm going to be a father, again.

I knew something was up with Astrid; I know her too well. Everything made sense after I realized it couldn't be her period because I knew Astrid didn't get nauseated or throw up. Plus, Astrid refused to drink champagne. Something just clicked, and I had to ask her. I was right, and after that; the symptoms she was displaying made a lot more sense to me. When Astrid held Runa and shifted her to one side, Runa's arm rubbed across Astrid's breast and made her wince due to sore breasts. Astrid's emotions were all over the place; she was extremely tired, she didn't eat a lot, she was using the bathroom a lot when she'd barely eaten or had anything to drink. But what did it for me is when she suddenly got sick. The more I ran over what was going on; it just hit me that she might be pregnant. I knew the symptoms because of Olivia, and Astrid kept playing what was going on with her as no big deal. So I knew Astrid had to know what was wrong with her and decided just to ask. As it turns out; I was right!

And I loved how everyone else got to find out too. I told her there was a baby growing in Astrid's belly, and Runa pointed it right out. Also, I learned that Runa was going to ask for a baby brother or sister for Christmas this year; turns out she's getting what she wants after all, so that made her entire day. It made mine too, not that today wasn't already fantastic because I married Astrid, but now I know we're going to have another baby, and that just adds to the joy. If I had to take a guess, Astrid got pregnant in May, a couple weeks after our three-year anniversary; we never had sex during the anniversary because she got her period, so we held off the celebrations until she was over it; then things for planning the wedding got a bit crazy, and we put it off. It must have been right around the time she would ovulate.

I knew Astrid wasn't on birth control because there was a mix up in appointments, and her doctor would not issue another prescription until she saw Astrid in the office. Astrid got seen, but she had to wait for her June period to start to take the pills. Obviously, that's not going to happen now because Astrid is pregnant. I find it hilarious that the one time we had sex when she wasn't on the pills; she got knocked up. I mean, we did it before on Prom night, so how ironic is it that this time; she gets pregnant. Oh, well. The timing couldn't be better. Astrid and I will enjoy our honeymoon, come back, and start getting ready for the new arrival. I guess it was just the right time for us to be having another baby. The remainder of this wedding reception has been everyone talking about it. My parents were over the moon to be getting another grandchild, but no one more than Runa.

So, we ended up doing cake around 8:30 pm. Following that; it was the bouquet and garter toss. Adelaide caught the bouquet, and as luck would have it, Tuffnut got the garter. Oh, I loved the glares from Spitelout and Snotlout when Tuffnut put the garter on Adelaide's leg, which he was only allowed to go knee-high; then the two got to share a dance. Everything else has been talking, a few more dances, and a good time. I did get Astrid to have a drink finally; it was apple juice to give the illusion she had champagne since the two drinks were around the same color. Everything has been amazing today. However, now it was about 10 pm, and I could tell Astrid was ready to call it a night, but she wasn't saying anything. I saw her tiredly exit the bathroom, again, and she sat down at the head table to take a few sips of her juice.

I moved over to the table and crouched in front of her. "Throw up again?" I asked.

Astrid shook her head with a soft smile. "No. Just taking it easy before I do," she admitted. All the dancing and moving around was making her nauseous; I frowned. I put my hand on hers, stroking the back of her hand.

"You ready to head out?" I inquired. Astrid nodded to me. "You gonna be alright for the honeymoon with all this morning sickness? I know how bad it can get. Liv had to take anti-nausea pills, and even then; it didn't always help," I said.

"I'll be alright; it's not too bad," Astrid leaned forward and kissed me; I returned it as I pulled Astrid to her feet afterward.

"Come on, let's get out of here," I motioned as she held onto my arm. I moved to the DJ booth.

"You and the Mrs going to have another dance?" he asked.

"Nah, we're heading out. Mind if I borrow the mic?" I inquired. The man turned down the music as he handed it to me. I tapped it a few times. "Hey. Can I just get everyone's attention for a sec?" it quieted down as all eyes fell on them. "I know we got this place till 11, but the wife is ready to start honeymooning, so we're gonna hit the sky. I just wanted to thank everyone here for coming and celebrating this day with us, making it all possible. I hope you all had a good time, get home safely, and we'll see you in two weeks," I informed. I handed the microphone back to the DJ as I led Astrid across the floor so we could start saying our goodbyes.

"Are you gonna call me evy day?" Runa asked when I held her.

"Of course," I assured her with a kiss on her forehead. Astrid held her neck, and Runa even put her hands on Astrid's belly and said goodbye to the baby, which I thought was adorable. Astrid gave Runa to Maeva as we finished the group of people; then I picked Astrid up and carried her outside to where Stormfly and Toothless were waiting for us. Stormfly would be taking the two suitcases and one backpack while Astrid and I rode Toothless for a smoother flight, so Astrid wouldn't get sick, hopefully. By 10:15 pm, Astrid and I were in the sky heading for Dragon's Edge.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{11:30 pm}**_

 _ **(Dragon's Edge; The Dreki Hotel)**_

Dragon's Edge was more than just a family campground; it was a resort theme park. Upon arriving, Hiccup and Astrid checked in, got their dragons put away in the stables; then were taken to their room; a honeymoon suite. These rooms were small wooden-made houses. Each one had a king-sized bed, two nightstands, one eight-drawer dresser, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a bistro table for two by the window that overlooked the ocean. Astrid and Hiccup unpacked quickly, then stood in front of the window to admire everything. Hiccup was behind Astrid, his arms around her waist.

"Well, we did it," Hiccup said with a smile.

"Finally married," Astrid added before turning in his arms so that she was facing him. Hiccup's hands rested on her waist while Astrid's arms were around Hiccup's neck; her fingers lightly playing with the back of his short auburn hair. "I love you, Hiccup,"

Hiccup stared into her blue eyes lovingly. "I love you too, Astrid. Then, now, and forever more,"

"Then, now, and forever more," Astrid repeated. A second later; their lips had met in a kiss. It was deep, passionate, and intimate. Hiccup broke it to make sure the door was locked, the curtains were drawn closed, but then he returned to his wife once more. "Make love to me, Hiccup," Instantly, he captured her lips again.

 **[Lemon Start]**

The kissing immediately led to making out as Hiccup backed Astrid up against the bed. Hiccup let his hands roam up Astrid's back to the zipper of her dress; he unhooked the clasp and pulled it down gently. The gown fell loose and slid off Astrid's shoulders with ease. Astrid stepped out of it as Hiccup picked it up and laid it off the chair to the bistro table. Astrid kissed Hiccup again as she began to work the buttons of his uniform, carefully getting the jacket off of him and resting it with the pants she took off afterward on the second chair. Hiccup also set his nice shirt and tie with the uniform as well. Now, Astrid was in her underwear and bra while Hiccup was in his boxers and sock. Hiccup finally laid Astrid down on the bed with himself on his hands and knees over her.

Hiccup leaned in to capture her lips again, after a few moments of that; his kissed moved to her neck and down the front of her body. Astrid moaned out as Hiccup adjusted sat her up a bit to remove her bra, then underwear. Astrid removed Hiccup's boxers before Hiccup laid between her legs and began eating her out. Astrid arched a bit and moaned louder. Hiccup continued his actions for a minute or so before inserting two fingers and fingering her. It did not take Astrid long to reach orgasm after that. Once she came; Astrid rolled Hiccup onto his back and knelt down on the floor with Hiccup on the edge of the bed. Astrid starting with a handjob, then began sucking for a blowjob. Less than a minute and thirty seconds later; Hiccup released. The two lovers kissed again as Hiccup got Astrid onto her back on the bed as they stared at one another, smiling. Hiccup guided his hardened length into Astrid's core and pushed in slowly.

"Mmm…Hiccup," Astrid moaned. Hiccup fixed his arms and began thrusting in and out. After a few minutes, Hiccup leaned down to kiss Astrid but kept up a steady pace. From this position; they moved into Hiccup sitting up on his knees and holding Astrid's hips on his bent legs. Next, it was Astrid on top for a short time until Hiccup took over thrusting upward into her. This position brought forth an orgasm for both of them; then they moved to lay down side by side with Hiccup thrusting from behind and holding one of Astrid's legs up. There was a short break for them to make out a little more before starting again. Astrid was on her hands and knees with Hiccup behind her; then they changed to Astrid on her back on the edge of the bed with Hiccup standing up and holding her legs apart.

This let them lead into Astrid's legs over Hiccup's arms, and also, Hiccup could push Astrid's knees to her chest and push in deeper. Hiccup managed to pick Astrid up and fuck her against the wall, and then Hiccup sat on the edge of the bed to let Astrid ride him again. Of course, Astrid changed it up by riding him in reverse cowgirl, and both of them came for the third time after that. Both took another break of skin to skin making out; just feeling one another while Hiccup's cock stayed buried inside her the entire time. Finally, Hiccup laid Astrid down once more in missionary position as Hiccup fucked her deep, hard, but slow. Hiccup and Astrid were sweating, moaning, panting, but felt no reason to stop regardless of the fact it was about 2:45 am. Typically, Hiccup and Astrid knew they could go longer in their lovemaking, but Hiccup didn't want all the activeness to make Astrid sick, plus; they had two weeks together to make love many more times.

"Hiccup…I'm gonna cum," Astrid breathed out.

"Me too," Hiccup replied as he kissed her again, picking up a little speed. Astrid dug her nails into his back and arched a bit. As soon as Hiccup felt her core tighten around him; he released at the same time his wife did. Hiccup's movements stilled as they laid there together, riding out their fourth orgasms of the night.

 **[Lemon End]**

When Hiccup had gone soft; he pulled out slow and kissed Astrid again. "I love you," Hiccup whispered against her lips.

"I love you too," Astrid smiled. Hiccup got off the bed to get something to clean up with; he let Astrid got first, then himself. The two snuggled up in the bed together. "Never knew how good it would feel without the condom," she giggled a little while laying in his arms.

"Yeah, well that only happened because you're already pregnant. I did pack condoms for this vacation," Hiccup informed. "And you know that as soon as you give birth; you're going back on birth control and we're using condoms again," he added while kissing her cheek.

"I know, Hiccup," Astrid laughed a little as she turned to face him now. "Don't worry; I love kids…But I don't want them all at once. I'd like for this baby to be at least three before we have another,"

"We have plenty of time to have kids, Milady," Hiccup reminded. "We're only twenty-one," he kissed her, and she returned it.

"Twenty-two by the time the little one comes. Well, you will be at least," Astrid enlightened.

"Eh, you'll be right behind me," Hiccup shrugged. "We should get some sleep; tomorrow starts our two-week honeymoon,"

"I can't wait. Just us for fourteen days," Astrid closed her eyes, sighing out entirely relaxed.

"Just us," Hiccup repeated as they kissed again. "I love you, Astrid Hofferson-Haddock," Yes, Astrid chose to keep her original last name as she was the last Hofferson in her family.

"I love you too, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid replied as they cuddled close and both soon drifted to sleep.


	83. It's A?

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

It's A?

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Sunday, October 19, 2025-2:30}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Tomorrow marked four months that Hiccup and Astrid have been happily married. But three days ago, Astrid hit twenty-two weeks in the pregnancy. Hiccup and Astrid enjoyed every single day of their two-week vacation, minus the times Astrid's morning sickness kicked in. Between 5 and 6 am every morning it seemed; Astrid was hit with nausea until about 8 am, then it would taper off. These spurts would hit Astrid at different times; sometimes she was fine and others, not so much. Astrid didn't always throw up, but she would feel extreme nausea, or occasionally light, and she would just need a little time to sit with water. Hiccup did what he could for her, but it was hard. Also, they did stop by a drugstore to pick up a substitute prenatal vitamin that her doctor approved of. Astrid set her appointment to be seen after the honeymoon when she would be seven weeks, and her doctor stated there would be a sonogram too.

After that, the honeymoon continued as planned. Hiccup and Astrid would either go out or stay in for their meals. Sometimes they would spend the day inside the room, walk around the resort, hit the beach or pool. It didn't matter as long as they were together. As they promised; Hiccup and Astrid contacted Runa every morning and night. Their daughter was always asking how her little brother or sister was doing; she was very excited to be a big sister, which warmed Hiccup and Astrid's hearts. The vacation was amazing overall, and when the fourteen days ended; Hiccup and Astrid returned to Archia Isle. The following Wednesday upon their return; Astrid had her appointment as she was nearing her eighth week. The first half of the meeting was going over last period, symptoms, and an in-office pregnancy test. The doctor confirmed everything, and then Hiccup and Astrid finally got to meet their baby in a sonogram.

Astrid cried, but Hiccup held her as they got to see their child on the screen. Astrid was marked at seven weeks and six days; the baby was developing perfectly, and everything looked great. The doctor, Jannike Fredrickson, was informed of Astrid's previous miscarriage and everything that happened and assured that they would watch Astrid carefully to see if anything starts going wrong. It worried Astrid, but Hiccup reminded her that stress was a leading factor in miscarriages, so all Astrid needed to do was avoid as much stress as possible. Hiccup and Astrid got a couple of pictures, and to hear the heartbeat; it was a wonderful day. Hiccup and Astrid sent everyone a copy of the picture by text message. It was adorable when Hiccup and Astrid tried to show Runa the scan; she didn't understand that the baby would grow over the next seven months.

Hiccup got through by showing Runa photos from when she was growing inside Olivia's belly, and what she looked like after being born, cleaned and what not. Runa somewhat understood after that, but her excitement was just that she would get to be a big sister after Christmas. The rest of the time since then has been wonderful. Also, Hiccup and Astrid were working on the renovations for their suite to accommodate themselves, Runa, and the new baby. However, Astrid wasn't sure how it would work and Hiccup today, at least, was trying to explain it so she would understand his vision. Also today; it was Astrid's baby shower, and gender reveal. The sonogram Astrid had two weeks ago revealed the gender, but not even Hiccup and Astrid knew. Hiccup gave the result to a friend who was going to set something up for him, military style.

So, everyone who had been at the wedding basically, and a few extra friends from Hiccup's unit, which was six altogether with Hiccup. Everything was decorated pink and blue; food spread out on a table, drinks, and a separate table with gifts for the baby. Astrid was sitting in a comfy chair with Hiccup beside her; the two were discussing the room arrangements.

"Hiccup, I'm sorry; I just don't see how it can work," Astrid stated.

"Alright, fine…I'll do it the old-fashioned way," Hiccup sighed as he moved behind the stables to his forge and pulled out his big drawing board in front of her. "Look," Hiccup drew a square, then added the spots of how his room looked now. "This is the room now, right?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. Hiccup started erasing a few chalk lines drawn; and adding new ones.

"We move our room into the Sitting Room. Bathroom stays. I can turn the art room into Runa's playroom or a spare closet. I can turn Runa's room into two rooms; one for her and one for the baby. And the big room can be our living room. The closet can stay; we'll just shrink it a little. Even with both of our clothes in there, I have plenty of unused space," Hiccup informed.

"Well, okay…Yeah, drawn like this; I see it. But what if we had more kids, Hiccup. That suite won't work forever," Astrid reminded.

"First of all, Milady. You still have like four months left in this pregnancy. And secondly…We already said while on our honeymoon we weren't having more until this baby is like three or four," Hiccup chuckled as he kissed her cheek. "Relax a little. We got time to figure something else out when the time comes that we choose to have more kids. How about we just worry about the one we have coming now?" he hugged her.

"I know. I'm sorry; I really need to stop doubting you," Astrid mumbled.

"Yeah, you do because you know I always come through," Hiccup smiled as Astrid nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's play some games!" Valka announced.

The first game was something that Astrid and the girls who had been pregnant already came up with. A relay race where they transport a balloon using pregnancy bellies, and it was a couples race. The object was to keep their two bellies holding the balloon while crossing the backyard. Heather and Fishlegs won that because if anyone knew what it was like to do things while having a big belly; it was Heather since she had twins. The prize was a $200 gift card to a home décor store.

The next game was pin the baby on the mom, a fun twist on pin the tail on the donkey or dragon. There was a lifesize picture of Astrid, and everyone had to try and pin the baby in the right spot while blindfolded. Out of the people playing, no one had gotten it right, though, Runa got the baby in Astrid's arms, and her reasoning was that the baby wouldn't be her mother's belly forever. Of course, Runa got a prize for that because she wasn't entirely wrong. After a few more people went; it was Hiccup's turn. Stoick blindfolded him and handed him the picture of a baby with a pin on it. Hiccup got spun three times, and then he was sent towards the cut out of Astrid.

"This should be good," Thuggory said. "No one else got it," he added while everyone was quiet.

Hiccup reached his free hand out, and it landed on Astrid's head. Hiccup moved slowly as his hand went down to her eyes, nose, mouth, then finally, her shoulders, chest. "The difference between me and all of you boys…" Hiccup stopped on Astrid's belly and pinned the baby in place as Hiccup took the blindfold off and stepped away with a grin. "Is that I know every inch of my wife's body,"

"HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD!" Astrid screeched with embarrassment.

"What, babe? Come on…I didn't get you pregnant by looking at you," Hiccup smirked. Astrid grabbed a small rock off the ground and threw it at his head.

"And if you don't behave yourself, looking is all your gonna get to do until after the baby is born!" Astrid warned. Hiccup chuckled as he moved over beside her.

"Oh, come on, Milady. You know you can't stay mad at me," Hiccup said softly, kissing her cheek, then her earlobe, which made Astrid smile a little. Hiccup kissed her neck as Astrid giggled and brought his face down to kiss his lips.

"You're right; I can't…" Astrid said afterward. "I forgive you…As long as you remind me how you got me pregnant later tonight?"

"Consider it done," Hiccup nodded as they shared another kiss. "Alright, next game!"

"That would be the baby food one," Gobber informed. "Who is playing that one?"

"I'll sit it out," Hiccup stated as he sat next to his wife; his hands resting on her belly. This game was just people trying different types of baby food and trying to guess what it was without looking at the label. Hiccup only wanted to be with his wife. At some point, Runa came over to sit with them and watch the fun commence. Afterward, Runa went off to play with the other children who were present. A few games after this were guess the mother's measurements at her current state; Adelaide won that one and a $30 gift card to Archian Donuts. Pick the item in the diaper bag was a tie between Minden and Nadia. The two split the prize of $50.00 cash.

Another game was bobbing for bottle nipples; something where the players had to get as many nipples as they could in thirty seconds. Snotlout and Eret tied that game, but both got $20.00 in cash. Thuggory was a close second, so he got $10. There was also balloon darts, which Camicazi won and got a gift certificate for a dragon supply store that was worth $100. By the end of all this; it was time for cake.

"Mommy, Daddy? Can I help cut it too?" Runa asked.

"Sure, sweetie," Astrid smiled as Runa came in and held the handle of the knife with Hiccup and Astrid. The three of them cut a piece, and then Stoick took over to slice more and start handing them out. However, Astrid took one bite of hers and set the plate down.

"Babe? You okay?" Hiccup asked when he noticed her face; it was the one he'd seen a lot. Astrid's _I'm about to be sick_ face. Astrid closed her eyes, trying to push it back. "Ast?" suddenly, she shook her head.

"I'm gonna be sick," Astrid said while bringing a hand to her mouth. Hiccup got Runa off his lap as he grabbed helped Astrid to her feet and hurried her into the house; then over to the small bathroom across from the Great Room. As soon as she was inside, she puked.

"I thought morning sickness faded after the first trimester?" Nadia asked.

"Typically, it does. For some women, like myself with Hiccup, it can be harder. I was sick my whole pregnancy," Valka informed. Ten minutes later, Hiccup was helping Astrid back out to sit in her chair.

"Mommy okay?" Runa asked.

"I will be, sweetheart. Don't worry," Astrid smiled a little. Runa got the cake and tried to hand it back to Astrid, but Astrid made a face and Hiccup set the plate away from his wife. "Mama don't want it?"

"No, baby girl. The cake is making her sick," Hiccup explained.

"Oh!" Runa nodded. "I sowwy, Mama,"

"It's not your fault," Astrid cupped her cheek a little. "Your baby brother or sister must not like it," she chuckled a little. "I usually love cake," she added.

"Will you wike it when my brother or sister comes out?" Runa inquired.

"Probably," Astrid nodded.

"Daddy, wrap Mommy's piece up. And she can have it in…Um…How much longer?" Runa looked at him.

"I don't think the cake will last that long, Roo. But I'll tell you what, okay? After your brother or sister is born; you, Mommy, me, and the baby will go out for dinner and have cake as the dessert. We'll get Mommy's favorite kind," Hiccup told her.

"What kind is that?" Runa tilted her head to the side.

"Double chocolate ice cream," Hiccup smiled. "It's chocolate ice cream, fudge center, and chocolate frosting," Hiccup enlightened. Runa clapped her hands and hugged Astrid, then Hiccup before sitting down next to them.

"When is Mama gonna open her presents?" Runa asked.

"Well, I suppose we could do that now while everyone is eating their cake?" Astrid suggested.

"Can I help?" Runa questioned.

"Of course," Hiccup nodded. After that, Astrid was opening gifts with Hiccup and Runa's help while everyone else enjoyed the cake. It was all the expected things; diapers, wipes, gender-neutral clothes and onesies, some socks, pacifiers, bibs, bottles, nipples, spoons, bowls, and plates. There was a bassinet from Maeva and Bard. Stoick and Valka got them a dark wood crib. Gobber got the sheets and blankets for it. Spitelout and Frida got a changing table while Alvin and Termagant did a dresser. Viggo and Ryker did a joint gift of an infant carrier and stroller. Katja and Verena did baby blankets. There was a little something from everyone, and truthfully; it reminded Hiccup of when Olivia was pregnant with Runa.

"What did you get her, Hiccup?" Birger asked curiously.

"Well, I gave her the baby," Hiccup started, and then he felt his wife's glare on him and nervously gulped. "B-But I did come up with a little something," he added quickly as the glare turned into slight curiosity. Hiccup knew Astrid didn't expect anything from him; that's not what the glare was about. No, Hiccup got that look because Astrid didn't like him cracking remarks that he gave her the baby when they both knew it took two to make a baby, so they both had a hand in the baby growing in her stomach. "I wrote a song for you," Astrid's eyes lit up excitedly now.

"Do I get to hear it live, or is it on a CD?" Astrid inquired.

"Um…It's on a…CD," Hiccup saw her frown sadly. "B-But I, uh, I can sing it for you live if y-" Hiccup started.

"Yes! Do it!" Astrid demanded quickly as her face returned to a wide smile now.

"Want…" Hiccup finished. Hiccup grabbed his phone and plugged it into the station. Astrid giggled happily as she held Runa in her lap now. "Alright, so I wrote this for you based on everything we've been through together in our lives. The fact that somehow we've ended up here because it was always meant to be that way," Hiccup said as Astrid blushed a little. Hiccup pressed play as the music began differently than most of his did.

" _Stay with me. Don't fall asleep too soon. The angels can wait, for a moment. Come real close. Forget the world outside. Tonight we're alone; it's finally you and I."_ Hiccup started in a soft voice. _"Oh! It wasn't meant to feel like this…Not without you,"_ he smiled as Astrid blushed a little more. The music picked up a bit more now.

" _Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path seems to end up before your face. The state of my heart. The place where we are was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup moved closer as he offered her his hand to take. Runa climbed off her mother and sat in her chair once Hiccup brought Astrid to her feet. Runa clapped her hands, giggling happily at the sight.

Hiccup pulled Astrid against him, beginning to dance with her. The music began to soften once more. _"Don't be afraid. I'll be right by your side. Through the laughter and pain. Together we're bound to fly,"_ Hiccup sang gently, but everyone could still hear the song. _"Oh! I wasn't meant to love like this…Not without you,"_ he stared into her eyes.

" _Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path seems to end up before your face. The state of my heart. The place where we are was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup leaned in closer now. _"We made a few mistakes, yeah. Like sometimes we do. Been through a lot of heartache…But I made it back to you!"_ Hiccup held the note as the music began to pick up again.

" _Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path seems to end up before your face. The state of my heart. The place where we are was written in the stars!"_ Hiccup sang out again as Astrid laid her head on his chest, trying not to cry. _"Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path seems to end up before your face. The state of my heart. The place where we are was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup smiled at her gently as he leaned in and kissed her as the dance came to a stop and he looking in her tear-filled blue eyes where the tears just began to slip down.

" _The state of my heart. The place where we are. Was written in the stars…"_ Hiccup finished after the kiss, and the music faded off. Hiccup wiped her eyes dry. "It's always been you and me, Milady. Then, now, and forever more," Hiccup whispered.

"Then, now, and forever more," Astrid replied. They kissed again, but Astrid broke it abruptly as she looked at her stomach; then put a hand there as she gasped.

"What? What is it? Are you okay?" Hiccup asked, worried about her.

"I-I felt the baby move," Astrid told him quickly. "There it is again!" she got excited.

"You've never felt it before?" Hiccup asked. Astrid shook her head.

"Most first-time moms don't feel the baby move until closer to twenty-five weeks," Mala pointed out. Astrid grabbed his hand and put it where hers was. Less than ten seconds later; he felt it and smiled.

"That's amazing," Hiccup kissed her again.

"Daddy, I want to feel the baby move!" Runa rushed over and tripped over a stone; then began falling. Hiccup dashed to the left and bent a little to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Got ya," Hiccup said as he stood up and held her in his arms. Runa held him tightly, scared that she almost fell. "It's okay. Daddy won't ever let you fall," he soothed as she kissed him and smiled. "Still wanna feel your brother or sister move?" Runa nodded. Astrid sat down in her chair as Hiccup knelt down and let Runa sit on his knee. Hiccup placed her hands on Astrid's belly and waited.

"I don't feel it," Runa said.

"Try talking to the baby," Hiccup offered. Runa thought a moment, then leaned closer to her mother's belly.

"Hi. I'm Runa. I'm your big sister…I can't wait to meet you. We'll pway, and I'll always keep you safe as Daddy does to Mommy," Runa said.

"Awe, that was adorable," Heather clapped her hands together. "Oh, come on, Fishlegs…Let's have another one,"

"NO!" Fishlegs and Dagur yelled at the same time nervously. Everyone laughed because it was funny that Heather wanted another baby right now when she had two two-year-olds. The twins birthday just passed in August. Runa closed her eyes, and then she felt it.

"Daddy! Mommy! I felt it!" Runa exclaimed. "Can we pwease find out if it's a boy or girl now!?" she pleaded.

"I think we've held off long enough," Astrid giggled a little. "Go on, babe since you're the one who planned how the reveal would go," she invited. Hiccup grinned a little. "And I feel like I'm gonna regret giving you that power…" she sighed. Hiccup set Runa down as he whistled for Toothless and Stormfly to come towards him.

"Ready guys?" Hiccup looked to the five males from the Strike Fury Unit. Three guys brought out small, ball-looking objects and then another one of them opened a case as the other guy pulled out a gun and tossed it to Hiccup.

"I can already see where this is going…" Gobber facepalmed.

"On three!" Hiccup called.

"Aye, sir!" the five called back.

"One!" Hiccup yelled as the three held the objects in hand. "Two!" they prepared to throw them up as Hiccup set his gun in position. "Three!" the males laughed the object in the air. "Toothless, Stormfly; fire!" at the same time; Toothless fired his plasma blast, Stormfly shot a single spine, and Hiccup fired his gun. Not more than a second later; the three attacks hit the balls in the air as there was an explosion of blue smoke.

"It's a boy!" everyone cheered as Hiccup pulled Astrid into his arms and kissed her deeply; they were having a son!


	84. Everything And More

**A Complete Turnaround**

Rated; M  
Pairing; HiccupXAstrid  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything HTTYD related. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Everything And More

 _=Normal POV=_

 _ **{Saturday, January 24, 2026-8:45 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

Astrid still couldn't believe how Hiccup planned the gender reveal back in October; he had his military buds get blue smoke bombs for him, Stormfly, and Toothless to shoot at in the air. Astrid should have figured that Hiccup would do something like that , but yet; she didn't, so it was a big surprise. Explained later on that he never fired anything off; it was just a blank. Toothless and Stormfly made the smoke bombs explode; he just wanted to add to the moment. However, the overall goal was achieved. Hiccup and Astrid learned together that they were having a baby boy in February. Runa was over the moon to have a little brother; she asked what the name would be as Hiccup and Astrid told everyone that they hadn't picked names yet. Following the reveal; the shower shut down early because Astrid was tired and beginning to feel sick again. Everyone helped clean up; then left shortly after around 6 pm. By 8:30 pm, Runa was in bed as Hiccup and Astrid ended up making love for an hour before falling asleep too.

The months passed by bringing them to Christmas where Hiccup's big gift to Astrid was revealing to her the finished master suite. It had been in the works since a few days after the shower and reveal. Hiccup and Astrid stayed in Astrid's old room while Runa got the one next to Stoick and Valka's. The room looked spectacular when Hiccup finally let her inside to see it. Hiccup and Astrid had their bedroom where the Sitting Room was; it held the king-sized bed, two nightstands, and two dressers. Hiccup even had a small cradle in there along with two chairs and a small table near the book corner. There was still a spot on the wall with a small sink, coffee pot, and microwave. Hiccup made sure that Astrid and himself would have access to making bottles upstairs and through the night. The former master bedroom was now a full living room. The bathroom remained the same.

Hiccup's old art room was now a play area for Runa's toys. The baby and Runa had the back room which used to be Runa's nursery. Hiccup had a wall put in to make one room into two; Runa had a door to her room, and after hiccup shrunk the walk-in closet a bit, he added a door which brought them into the baby's room. So, everything worked out as Hiccup promised Astrid it would, and he even let her design the baby's nursery her way. All he did was move things around to the way she wanted it to be. The New Year had come and gone; they were in 2026 now. Eret and Ruffnut were married; that happened on October 31st, 2025. Yes, Halloween was the date chosen. It was an afternoon wedding so that anyone with kids could still take them out for the night portion. Snotlout proposed to Minden on Christmas Eve, and Minden told Snotlout she was four weeks pregnant. So that was fun. Minden got pregnant in November, so she's due for August 2026. And their wedding is set for January 2027.

Heather and Fishlegs are getting ready to tie the knot on February 15th, the day after Valentines Day. Dagur and Mala are expecting another baby; she got announced the pregnancy at Eret and Ruff's wedding when Dagur was on her about why she wasn't drinking with him. Mala is due for June 2026. Other than that, not much else was going on. Everyone was working and living their lives. Today, was a Saturday; the second to last weekend of the month. Hiccup was away at Drill Weekend; three days of training; it happened every month except for Annual Training, which was two weeks of training once every year, but the dates for that always changed. Hiccup left the house yesterday morning at 4:30 am to reach the base for 5 am, and Astrid likely wouldn't hear from him until after 9 pm. But it sucked more that she couldn't see him until Sunday night.

Astrid was not feeling well today; she had some pains that were spread out and been unable to get comfortable all night. Hiccup told her that he would find a way out of Drill, but Astrid insisted he go in and she would call if something was wrong. Stoick and Valka were off at work. Gobber was doing something, and the staff was busy as always. Astrid and Runa were left to hang out and spend some mother and daughter time together.

"Mommy, what can we do now?" Runa asked.

"What would you like to do, Roo?" Astrid smiled at her.

Runa looked up, thinking. "Can we go outside and build a snowman?"

"Sure, baby girl," Astrid nodded. "Go get your snow things," Runa rushed off to grab them as Astrid pulled herself up and off the couch, but was instantly overcome with pain; it made her double over and hold her stomach. Astrid hadn't felt pain like this since her miscarriage, and she was scared something was wrong with the baby. "A-Ah!" Astrid dropped to her knees.

"Mommy!" Runa said quickly, dropping her snow gear and hurrying to Astrid. "Mommy, what's wrong?!"

"J-Just a little pain sweetie…" Astrid tried to assure her daughter, but she winced again.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" Runa cried.

"No, no. It's okay, baby…Don't cry. Ssh…" Astrid told Runa. "Listen…Mommy needs your help. Can you get Mommy's phone on the couch over there?" Runa grabbed it and brought it to Astrid. "Good girl. Okay, now I need you to press the side button, and slide your finger across the bottom," Runa did so.

"Okay, what now, Mommy?" Runa asked. Astrid panted, holding her stomach still and not answering her. Runa lifted the phone. "Fwigga. Call My Hic," she said firmly.

" **Calling** _ **My Hic**_ **,"** the voice responded.

 **. . .**

 _ **(Archia Isle Military Base)**_

The Commanding Officer's voice telling them about their training exercise when he was cut off abruptly when a cell phone rang. "All phones should be on vibrate!" he yelled. "Who's is it?" he asked. Everyone checked their phones.

"I-It's mine, sir," Hiccup replied nervously.

"Who is calling you?" the man inquired.

"My wife," Hiccup confessed.

"No phones," the man said. "But I know she's eight months pregnant, so go ahead and answer it. You know the rules, though," Hiccup sighed to himself. The rule was that all calls went on speakerphone, so the CO knew that the soldiers were talking to who they said they were. Hiccup tapped the icon and put it on speaker.

"What's up, Milady? I'm a little-," Hiccup started.

" _DADDY!"_ came a little girl's voice. Hiccup's eyes widened a bit.

"Roo? Baby girl, what are you doing with your mother's phone?" Hiccup asked. "Where is she?"

" _Daddy, you need to come home!"_ Runa stated.

"You know Daddy is training; I can't just come home," Hiccup rubbed his head. "Where is Mommy?" he asked again.

" _But Daddy; it's a mergcy!"_ Runa cried. Mergcy? Emergency? Is that what she meant? Had something happened to Astrid?

"Runa. Runa, what's a _mergcy_? Do you mean an emergency? Where someone is in trouble or hurt and needs help?" Hiccup questioned.

" _It's okay, Mommy. I cawed Daddy…I get him home,"_ Runa said.

"RUNA OLIVIA HADDOCK!" Hiccup said firmly. "Where is your mother?"

" _Mama in pain, Daddy. She on fwor holding her belly,"_ Runa replied, still crying.

"Runa. Runa; I need you to calm down and do something for me, okay? I need you to press the speaker button that Daddy always taps when we call Nana and Papa for you to sleep over. Can you do that for me?" Hiccup asked.

" _Okay…"_ Runa trailed off. _"Okay, I pushed it…"_

"Good girl. Astrid? Astrid, can you hear me?" Hiccup asked.

" _Yeah…Ow…"_ Astrid whimpered.

"What's going on? What's Runa talking about?" Hiccup inquired.

" _I-It just happened, Hiccup. R-Roo and I were gonna go build a snowman outside, and it just hit me. It hurts so much; I can't…get off the floor…"_ Astrid cried.

" _Daddy, come home; I'm scared…"_ Runa wailed.

"Haddock, go. Your wife needs you; just let me know what's going on," the CO ordered.

"Sir, yes sir," Hiccup stood up and saluted him. Hiccup put his middle and thumb fingers to the corners of his mouth and gave a loud whistle. "TOOTHLESS!" he called. The Night Fury gave a return roar as Hiccup knew he was on his way over. "Babe?"

" _I-I'm here…"_ Astrid replied panting.

"I'll be home in fifteen at best," Hiccup assured.

" _Hiccup…I-I'm scared…"_ Astrid confessed.

"I know…I know; I am too…How bad is the pain?" Hiccup asked as Toothless was running over to him.

" _R-Remember the day you told me what Olivia said labor pains felt like…That bad,"_ Astrid hissed in pain again.

"A-Are you telling me you think you're in labor?" Hiccup questioned as Toothless came beside him; Hiccup threw his leg over the saddle and opened the tail. "Y-You're four weeks early!"

" _HICCUP! I DON'T KNOW! I'VE NEVER HAD A BABY BEFORE! All I know is that this pain is almost constant, I can't get up, and I ne-,"_ she stopped. _"Shit…Hi-Hiccup…I-I need you…Like now…"_

"Astrid…What just happened?" Hiccup asked. No answer. "Astrid!"

" _Hiccup…Hurry; m-my water just broke…"_ Astrid winced.

"Give me five minutes," Hiccup stated.

"You'll never get there that fast!" one of his platoon members stated.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a Night Fury…And he flies at speeds that break the sound barrier," Hiccup remarked. "Toothless, top speed!" the Night Fury launched into the sky; then the two dove down towards the ground and curved last second to heading straight for Berk. There was a loud whistle heard, and the Mach Cone appeared.

"Damn that dragon is fast…" the CO blinked.

 **. . .**

 _ **{9 am}**_

 _ **(Berk; Haddock Manor)**_

At breakneck speed; Toothless got Hiccup to Haddock Manor in four minutes. The dragon came to a skidding halt upon landing as Hiccup jumped off and rushed into the house.

"Astrid! Astrid, where are you?" Hiccup called out. Astrid heard him calling for her.

"Ru-Runa…Go to the top of the stairs and tell Daddy we're upstairs…" Astrid told her. Runa nodded and hurried to the stairs.

"Daddy! Daddy; we're up here!" Runa called. Hiccup panted, hurrying to the stairs and running up them. Runa led Hiccup right to Astrid who was on her knees, holding onto the couch.

"Ast…" Hiccup got beside her. "How far apart are the pains?" he asked.

"I-I don't know. Maybe five minutes or less?" Astrid whimpered as she leaned against her husband.

"Oh, man…We need to get to a hospital…Now," Hiccup said as he looked around. "It'll take too long to get an ambulance up here, and it's not safe to fly you at those speeds to Archian General…Goddamnit!"

"Da-Daddy…Is Mommy going to be okay?" Runa sobbed.

"Yes, baby. She will; I promise. Your…Brother is just giving her a hard time," Hiccup tried to explain the best he could. Hiccup was torn at what to do here; he needed to get Astrid to the hospital because she was very much in active labor. "Let's get downstairs; I'll call an ambulance…I can't risk flying you on Toothless or Stormfly…" Hiccup picked Astrid up carefully and carried her out of the room and to the elevator. Runa followed quickly. Once downstairs, Hiccup brought Astrid to the Great Room to lay on the couch while he dialed 911.

" _Dispatch. What's your emergency?"_

"Hi, this is Hiccup Haddock, and my wife is in labor. I don't have a car, unsafe to go by a dragon, and she's four weeks early," Hiccup explained.

" _Has her water broken?"_

"Yes, about seven minutes ago. A-And her pains are three minutes apart," Hiccup said as he'd been watching them since he arrived and knew he'd need to know. Also, he was worried while he leaned over to kiss Astrid's forehead. "Ssh; it's okay…Everything is going to be fine, babe," he tried to soothe her.

" _Mr. Haddock; I'm sending an ambulance to you. Now, I'm going to transfer them to you, and they can walk you through what to do in preparation for when they arrive. Your wife may be too far along in her labor to be moved to a hospital, so emergency services will likely get you ready for a home birth,"_

Hiccup paled a bit. Oh, he didn't need this! "Okay," he responded. Like he had much choice.

" _Mr. Haddock?"_ came a different voice.

"I'm here," Hiccup replied.

" _Alright. Dispatch filled me on on the situation. We're still twenty minutes out from Raven Point Hills, so here's what I need you to do,"_

Hiccup knew he was nowhere near ready for this, but he was all Astrid had right now, and she needed him. Hiccup had to pull it together for his wife. "I'm ready," Hiccup responded firmly.

 **. . .**

 _ **{9:30 am}**_

Hiccup had Runa sit on the far couch first, and told her that she needed to stay right there while he helped Mommy. Runa agreed and just sat there, still worried and scared. Hiccup had to rush around to boil water, get a ribbon of some sort, sterilize a pair of scissors, get at least eight towels, make Astrid comfortable, and he thankfully had help from the staff. However, when it came to the point that Hiccup had to removed Astrid's pants to see if the baby was crowning; he asked all staff to leave and just keep Runa occupied.

Astrid cried out in pain again. "Astrid, listen to me. I know you're tired, I know it hurts…But you need to push!"

"I can't!" Astrid sobbed. "I'm scared!"

"Yes, you can. You didn't think you could learn to fight either, but you did, because you believed in yourself. You always find your strength when you need it most. Now is one of those times. I know you're scared, I am too. But it's time to push. You got this, and I'm right here with you. Come on, babe. Remember, fear into strength. Our son is ready to meet us, so let's bring him into the world together, like we do everything else," Hiccup stated.

"Okay…" Astrid replied.

"Alright. Come on now…Legs on my shoulders, hold my hand and push! Give it all you have and push!" Hiccup told her. Astrid did so, wincing. Hiccup put his hand towards hers as she gripped it tightly. Astrid closed her eyes tightly and pushed hard.

"AH!" Astrid screamed.

"That's it. That's it, babe! Come on; you got this. Take a few breaths, and do it again," Hiccup encouraged.

Astrid panted. "Hi-Hiccup…I love you,"

"I love you too," Hiccup leaned forward and kissed her deeply. Astrid took a breath and pushed hard again. After a few seconds, the head was out. "The head is out. Halfway there, Love. Come on," he urged. Astrid pushed again three more times. "He's out! He's out, babe," he announced. A loud cry filled the room as Hiccup quickly wrapped the newborn up and did everything that he remembered happening after Runa came out. He grabbed the sucker to clean the nose and mouth, then tied off the cord and cut it. Hiccup wrapped the child better and gave him a light wash down with a semi-damp cloth.

"I-is he okay?" Astrid asked.

"Seems to be…Breathing alright, crying, pink…" Hiccup listed off. Astrid delivered the placenta and Hiccup left all that alone as he was holding the baby.

"C-Can I hold him?" Astrid asked, trying to sit up more. Hiccup helped her up against the couch while still on the floor. Astrid adjusted her arms and took their son from Hiccup; the baby began to cry less and eventually stopped.

"Ambulance should be here soon; they said to try to feed him if he takes to breastfeeding," Hiccup told her. Astrid had Hiccup help her adjust the shirt, and their son latched on right away and began to feed. Hiccup and Astrid shared a kiss.

"I don't know where I'd be without you, Hiccup…Thank you, for everything…And this…" Astrid said softly.

"We've been through a lot, and we can get through anything together. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid, babe," Hiccup reminded; they kissed again as the ambulance people arrived and were led inside by one of the maids.

The female looked over Astrid and the baby as Hiccup gave the male all the information such as how the birth went and what time their son was born. "Everything looks good, but should still go to the hospital to make sure," the female informed. Not arguing, Hiccup and Astrid loaded into the back of the ambulance with Runa in Hiccup's lap.

 **. . .**

 _ **{4:30 pm}**_

After about seven hours at the hospital, Astrid and the baby were both cleared to go home. The doctors had to take the baby to be checked out, tested for things, do his hand and footprints, be measured and weighed. Astrid had to be examined, and Hiccup got stuck filling out all the paperwork and explaining things to the doctors about the original due date and everything. It was so crazy that Hiccup forgot to text anyone and let them know; he didn't even have his phone; it was in Toothless's saddle bag. Astrid's was at home on the floor in Master Suite living room. Finally, they were released to go home as the baby was fine even though he was born four weeks early; he was perfectly healthy.

Hiccup was holding the baby while Runa sat with her mother on the ride back to Berk. It would be interesting because Astrid remembered everyone was going to come over tonight to sit with her and keep her company while Hiccup was away at training. Wouldn't this be interesting? Reaching Berk by 4:50 pm, the ambulance parked out front just as everyone else was arriving.

"Um…What's going on?" Stoick asked. One of the paramedics opened the back as Hiccup climbed out holding a wrapped baby, and then Astrid came out holding Runa. Everyone's eyes widened.

"YOU HAD THE BABY!?" they yelled.

"First off, the baby is sleeping, so hush. Secondly, yes. If you come inside…I'll explain…" Hiccup stated. "Thanks, guys," he said to the paramedics.

"Any time, Sergeant Haddock," the male saluted. "Next time you see my little brother, Private Danielson, tell him I said hi. And it was a pleasure to be of service to you. Thank you for your service to our home," he offered his hand.

"Thank you for your support," Hiccup replied with a nod as he shook the man's hand. The ambulance left as Hiccup helped Astrid inside while the rest followed. Returning to the Great Room, Hiccup saw everything had been cleaned up, and he had Astrid sit down, and then he handed the baby to her to hold as he took over holding Runa. "Find a seat," he motioned. Everyone sat down as he took a breath. "Short version…I got a call at training around 8:50 am from Astrid. She told me she was in pain and her water broke, so I rushed home. Got here, contractions were about four minutes apart, called the ambulance, and Astrid gave birth here by 9:30 am. We went to the hospital to get checked out, all good, and here we are again,"

"Okay…Longer explanation?" Gobber asked.

"I cawed Daddy when Mommy was on da fwor; he came home, den Mommy had baby in here and Daddy helped get my brofher out," Runa giggled.

"Basically," Hiccup stated.

"Wait…Y-You delivered the baby?" Heather asked.

"Kind of didn't have a choice. Astrid's water had broken, contractions were constant, she was about eight centimeters dilated, and the ambulance wasn't gonna get here in time. So yes, Heather; I delivered the baby," Hiccup informed as everyone blinked; he sighed and began to tell them everything. By 5:10 pm, he had finished. "And that's it,"

"Odin above, son…" Stoick blinked. "But the baby is okay?"

"He is," Hiccup nodded. "Born this morning at 9:36 am measuring eighteen and a half inches and weighing in at five point ninety-one pounds. Breaths and breastfeeds fine, so they let us come back home after seven hours there," he enlightened.

"Good work, laddie. Probably saved the day with how fast you acted," Gobber smiled.

"I may have delivered the baby, but Runa is the hero today. When Astrid was in so much pain she couldn't move or talk, Runa knew to use Frigga to call me from Astrid's phone by knowing what Astrid has me labeled in the phone as. Had it not been for that; I might not have made it home in time before something happened to him," Hiccup motioned to the baby.

"So does _him_ have a name?" Dagur asked.

Astrid handed the baby to Hiccup as he moved the blanket a bit and showed the baby to everyone. "I'd like for you all to meet mine and Astrid's son and Runa's little brother, Colden Hofferson-Haddock…Named after Astrid's father,"

 **. . .**

 _ **{7:45 pm}**_

After everyone had some time to swoon over the baby and talk about the crazy day; they left to give Hiccup and Astrid time with their daughter, Runa, and new son, Colden. Upstairs, Runa was fast asleep on one of the couches in the Master Suite living room while Astrid had just finished feeding Colden. Hiccup changed him and then set him in the rolling bassinet. While Hiccup did all this, Astrid couldn't help but think about everything. Finally, Hiccup came to sit next to her.

"You look upset, what's wrong?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, no; I'm alright, babe. I'm just thinking about everything that's happened over the years," Astrid admitted.

"Meaning?" Hiccup arched a brow as Astrid leaned against him.

"How we made it back to one another after everything. I mean; Senior Year changed everything for us. I just…And I know it sounds corny or whatever, but…I can't help but think of how my life turned out because of that last year in school," Astrid explained. "You and I were basically enemies, but then…I lost everything. My parents, my home…Everything. And my stupidness over the years when I got popular even cost me my real friends…And you,"

"Astrid…" Hiccup started.

"But then…Because of you; everything changed," Astrid continued as Hiccup's eyes widened a bit. "Even though I abandoned you and our friendship; mistreated and bullied you…You never stopped caring about me. You gave me a job, a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on…You became my bodyguard and put your life on the line for me countless times. You did all that when for three years…I was awful to you. All because you never gave up on me, because you loved me…Everything changed. And sitting here now after just giving birth to our son, knowing we're married, and that I'm Runa's stepmother…Hiccup; I just can't explain it. The only way I can is that I lost everything, but then I got it all back because of you. I met you, best friends, enemies, became homeless, got a job, you and me back to friends, lovers, husband and wife, a mother…My life did a complete turnaround, Hiccup, because of you,"

Hiccup didn't know what to say, instead; he just kissed her deeply. Afterward; Hiccup smiled as he put his left hand over her left hand and leaving it, so their rings were showing. "You and me, Astrid. Always has been, always will be," Hiccup reminded. "I love you, Astrid Haddock,"

"I love you too, Hiccup Haddock. Thank you for giving me everything I could ever want, hope for, and more," Astrid linked her hand to his.

"Thank you for giving me the same," Hiccup replied as they kissed again knowing that they'd always have one another as they continued to move into the future together.

 ***Author's Note;** _Well, here we are folks! This is the last chapter of A Complete Turnaround, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as I did writing it. And I'm proud to say that this story is now my longest fanfiction of all forty-eight of them. Unintentional had the lead at eighty-chapters until I decided to write this one; it was supposed to stop at seventy-six, but I decided to push it all the way to when Hiccup and Astrid have their first child together. So yay me. Anyway, next on the list is finishing Living The Dream! Be on the lookout for those chapters coming in a few days. As always, thank you for the continued support and your loyalty! -Nightstar._ *****


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